Duality Risen
by Kirishtu
Summary: A single mistake brings together eight individual lives into one large strand destined to change the paths of fate.
1. Chapter 1

Originally posted on aff 2010-01-31 - 2011-10-02

One

"That was a cheap shot," complained Mardruk, "and you know it."

Goran Brokentooth gazed at his young companion with expressionless, bloodshot yellow eyes. The old orc warrior calmly cleaned his blade of blood and looked from Mardruk to the body of the quillboar that lay still quivering not far from where the pair sat. Finally, Goran heaved a sigh. "It would have gored you, left you to convalesce for days. I didn't want to listen to your bitching."

Mardruk frowned heavily. The young apprentice warrior sat by and sulked, massive arms crossed over an equally massive chest. The violet-eyed orc felt slighted by his master, knowing his death would have been honourable even if it were against a lowly quillboar and not something from the Alliance. But Goran was right, as usual, for Mardruk was still young and stupid. The old orc had fought for Thrall during the time the young Warchief was working to free his people, and was a veteran. Especially when he dealt with foolish young apprentices.

"What did you do wrong?"

"What?"

Goran rolled his bloodshot eyes. "What did you do wrong?" he repeated, spacing out his words. Mardruk frowned, knowing the elder orc was making fun of him by speaking as if he were a simple-minded child.

The young orc narrowed his violet eyes. "I engaged prematurely." He said at last. "I left myself open to a counter attack that would have killed me."

Goran stroked his beard and nodded slightly. "What else?"

Mardruk ground his teeth. "And I didn't look to see if it had reinforcements."

The old veteran nodded again. "If you were alone, you'd be dead, boy. I know how the bloodlust sings in your veins; I've felt it too. But we live in an uneasy time where that need to fight can begin another war." Goran paused to take a breath, eyeing his young pupil intently. "Being a warrior is our natural calling, but only the smart ones survive to reach my age."

"But isn't it better to die in battle than from old age?" Mardruk asked, standing up as Goran did. Goran looked at the younger orc with a strange gaze. The old warrior shook his head and sighed.

"You'll understand when you're older. Sometimes there's honour in dying old." Goran said. "Especially when your students are the ones who will live on in your name and their victories bring their dead teacher honour as well as themselves."

Mardruk frowned and slid his heavy broadsword into its sheath, picking up the heavy pack Goran forced him to carry around. Builds muscle. The old orc had said. Builds endurance. Mardruk rolled his violet eyes and hurried after his master as they headed deeper into the Barrens. The dry heat didn't bother Mardruk as much as it had before they had set out on this journey from Orgrimmar to the Barrens. He figured he was making progress then, at least with endurance. Fighting was another thing entirely. Mardruk was the top of his class, and he'd prided himself with that achievement because it had gotten him noticed by Goran Brokentooth, the old veteran warrior who rarely took on an apprentice if at all. Mardruk had certainly been riding a narcissistic high when Goran had pointed at him that day two months ago.

Then he learned (quickly) how much of an idiot he really was.

Goran's first test frustrated Mardruk to the point the young orc had almost run his master through. And Goran had beat Mardruk's ass hard enough to make the young warrior see stars dancing across his vision as his brain played the part of the ball hitting the walls of his skull.

So Mardruk sucked it up and worked hard to learn hard, becoming what Goran forced him to be: a smart warrior.

Unfortunately, things like the incident with the quillboar just proved that Mardruk still had a long, long way to go.

The young orc grunted and picked up his pace, walking quickly to catch up to his master, that heavy pack bouncing against his spine. Mardruk had been in the Barrens before, once on a scouting mission and once to collect some of those stupid peacebloom flowers for some potion or another, but the dry, scrubby land still managed to amaze him. Mardruk had never been far from Durotar, never far from the Barrens. He knew that to the north lay Ashenvale where the Night Elves lived and to the south was Thousand Needles where Tauren frequented, probably in order to murder the centaur that made up most of the land's population. Mardruk had seen Night Elves before, and had openly stared at them as much as they stared at him. The tall, muscular elves had been wandering through Durotar when Mardruk had been a whelp. What happened to them, Mardruk never knew.

His violet eyes glanced around their surroundings, almost expecting a quillboar to come at him to avenge its companion. He saw dry plains, scrubby rocks, and golden twiggy bushes that gave shade to the lions that slept beneath them. He saw an assortment of wildlife and other flora, but none of that set off his need to fight. He'd gotten better at controlling the bloodlust, fighting to keep a cool head like Goran had forced him to learn, but Mardruk was still only in his early twenties – he was allowed to make mistakes. Mardruk sucked on a tooth and frowned. Mistakes could get him killed, Mardruk mused. So no, he decided, he wasn't allowed to make mistakes, even if his stupidity and his youth made the mistakes for him.

Goran stopped short and gestured for Mardruk to halt as well. The young orc gazed at his master strangely but obeyed, drawing his broadsword just in case. Goran's bloodshot eyes were focused on the road below them, his hand around the hilt of his own broadsword as he drew himself up a little taller. Mardruk, curious as ever, peeked around the veteran's shoulders and looked down at the same road that was causing Goran to act so strangely.

Down below the pair of orc rode a group of ten warriors, dressed in shiny silver armour. Each rode a magnificent horse, the animals draped in all sorts of finery. Mardruk felt disgust, wondering why these warriors were making such a show of themselves, displaying themselves so easily for an enemy. Goran grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"Learn from them, Mardruk." Goran whispered. "They are confident, and they are numerous. These are human knights, probably from Stormwind itself. We would be fools to engage them." He gestured to one of the ten, forcing Mardruk to focus. "That one is probably a paladin. He would sooner kill you than speak with you. Pray they haven't seen us, and we'll go around."

"Why are you afraid of some tiny human?" Mardruk asked, a little louder than he intended.

Goran looked at him sharply. "Afraid? I'm not afraid. From where I stand, I see ten human warriors. I am only one orc. I may be able to slay one or two, maybe even three, but that still leaves at least seven that can stab me in the back before I even realize my death is upon me. A death like that is not honourable. If I can avoid such a fight, especially a fight I will most definitely lose, then I will avoid it."

"But–" Mardruk's reply, probably harsh and vindictive, was cut off as the humans finally noticed the pair of orc arguing with each other on the rise. Mardruk's eyes went wide as those great swords were unsheathed and the humans put their heels to their horses' flanks, making the animals charge the two green-skinned warriors.

Goran let out a large, loud curse, then bellowed a battle cry that shook Mardruk's bones. The horses, well-trained as they were, were not used to the noises an orc could make and shied, slowing their masters' pace by just enough. Goran took Mardruk's broadsword as well as his own and turned to face their attackers. "Go, boy! Run!"

"I'm not running from this!" Mardruk snarled. Goran's red eyes bored into his own violet ones and Mardruk felt for the first time fear as Goran snarled at him.

"You will run. You will survive. You must return to Orgrimmar and tell them everything you've seen." Goran gave Mardruk a hard shove back the way they came. "Go! Go, whelp, ere I kill you where you stand!"

Mardruk snarled in reply, but the first of the human soldiers had come upon Goran. The human had no chance against the old veteran's swinging blade, the horse screaming as its legs were cut from it with the sword in the left hand and its rider was introduced to the sword in the right. Mardruk cursed and bolted away from his master, feeling like a terrible coward. He heard pursuit and put his head down, forcing his legs to carry him away from the battle he should have participated in.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Mardruk's lungs were burning when he reached the first of three high plateaus that looked suitable enough to offer him safety, or at least drive the humans to dismount and follow him where he could pick them off one by one. Even barehanded, Mardruk was more than a match for an armoured human if he fought them one-on-one and with surprise on his side. But the horses were faster than Mardruk had expected and the young orc left his first plateau and made for the second. He paused as he stared up at the giant rock pretending to be a monolith and shrugged his great green shoulders. Good a place as any to make a last stand, he decided. Mardruk headed up, glancing back over his shoulders to see that the three humans that had chased him had stopped, trying to decide how to navigate the narrow path without leaving themselves at a disadvantage.

Their hesitation gave the young warrior the advantage of distance and a chance to find a hiding place, though it really wasn't hard to pick out brownish-green skin among golden-red rocks. Maybe he could just slip down the other side before the humans had even begun to climb up. The path twisted and turned around the mountainside, leading up, always up up up and Mardruk had to force himself not to look down. He'd probably end up suffering vertigo and tumbling down the mountain. It looked to be a drop of sixty-five feet, at least, and it wasn't like he'd get any special recognition for surviving that kind of fall. Panting, Mardruk just kept going up and hoped to get to the top of the plateau before his friends decided they had had enough of pussyfooting around and just charged up on foot. He hit a wide, flat plane that announced the top of the plateau and the end of Mardruk's ability to flee. He should have stayed with Goran – he would have died a warrior's death and not a coward's.

Panting, Mardruk looked around for a place to hide, maybe another path off the mountain. But it was no use: he'd run to his death for certain. He cursed and paced the perimeter, trying to find a suitable rock or a dozen, which he could drop upon the humans' shiny helmeted heads. He stalked frightfully close to the edge searching for an impromptu weapon when he heard the horse's whinny carried up to him by the wind. He was running out of time. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Mardruk glanced about him, mind racing through a hundred options, a hundred scenarios that Goran had drilled him through and came up with nothing. Frustrated, the young orc hauled back with his foot and then lashed out, kicking a heavy boulder as if it were a rubber ball, sending the thing careening down over the side of the cliff.

Judging by the curses that sprung up not long afterward, Mardruk supposed he had almost hit one of the white-skinned bastards chasing him. The young orc jumped when he felt a ghostly touch of fingers against the back of his neck and whirled to face the intruder, ready to use his fists to defend himself. But there was nothing.

"Thrall's balls," Mardruk cursed softly. "The hell did I get myself into?"

-I know what chases you.-

The orc jumped again, trying to locate the voice. Not normally a paranoid man, Mardruk was slowly starting to believe the shamans when they talked about the spirits of all things, and became greatly unnerved that something, a spirit or not, was watching him. He turned in a complete circle then planted his feet and faced the direction the armoured humans would come from. "Who are you?"

-One that has been trapped unjustly for years.- The voice replied. Mardruk felt a single bead of sweat roll down between his shoulder blades as he realized that voice wasn't being spoken out loud, but it was in his head.

"That didn't answer the question." Mardruk growled, hoping his false bravado would save him from whatever the voice in his head (he could swear he wasn't going crazy) had planned.

-Turn around. I will show you.-

Slowly, Mardruk obeyed, turning in a slow circle to face a pile of stones that he had not noticed before. The young warrior slowly approached, realizing with a start that this was a cairn he was standing before, a grave of someone long forgotten by their people, unloved and unhonoured. The voice sounded almost mournful when it spoke next. -I was once a great leader and hero among my people. They looked to me to lead them to greatness. But I was betrayed. One who wanted my power led me here, to my death. I know what chases you, young one, and if you aid me, I will aid you.-

"Aid you in what?" Mardruk said, his voice sounding thick. "You're dead."

-Not so dead that I cannot help you in your plight. Please, young one, I've suffered countless years here, neither allowed the final rest nor true freedom. If I help you in your plight, you must aid me.-

Mardruk clenched his fists for a moment then ran his fingers through his thick black hair. He could hear the humans slowly coming up the path, and knew he was running out of time. He had to make a decision. But he had been warned about trusting voices he couldn't place a body to. He had been drilled through hundreds of scenarios by Goran to make refusal his natural instinct.

Goran.

The old veteran was probably dead by now. Mardruk cursed himself and brought his fist in front of his face. It was his fault. He had brought the attention of the humans to Goran and himself, had brought Goran to his death. Now he was going to die, and it would all be in vain. Goran's death would be in vain.

Mardruk's violet eyes alighted on the stone cairn and he finally brought his fist down, pointing at the stones. "Fine. You help me, I'll help you."

-Excellent.- The voice left Mardruk's mind then, and Mardruk heard the clink of armour as the soldiers finally made it to the top of the rise. Slowly, and cursing himself the entire time, Mardruk turned to face his death. The humans were young men, probably only freshly blooded, and they had not yet fought an orc. That would be in Mardruk's favour, armed or not. They had left the veterans to deal with the veteran while the green soldiers went for the green warrior.

Mardruk took a deep breath and stamped his feet, letting out a bellow that he hoped would deter the humans long enough that Mardruk could run. The humans looked startled, but their swords hissed out of their sheaths and one charged forward. Mardruk swallowed the sudden fear that swept over him and held his ground until the last minute. The young orc leapt aside, falling into a tumbling roll that brought him back to his feet. The charging human tried to stop and switch directions, but he was moving too fast. He crashed into the cairn and stiffened then dropped to the ground, his youth sucked out of him. Mardruk stared, violet eyes wide, as the cairn rumbled.

He heard the two remaining humans gasping and whispering in rushed words, the two slowly backing away from Mardruk and the cairn. Even Mardruk wanted to follow them, but he found himself rooted to his spot, unable to even twitch. The cairn shifted, the rocks tumbled apart, and a lightning whip of dark violet light cracked out, latching onto one of the humans. The man – no, boy, Mardruk realized, for when the youth's helm tumbled off it was a child's face that was revealed, smooth and beardless – let out a scream that hurt even Mardruk's ears and the tendril reached up and dove into the open cavern of the boy's mouth. The other human let out a shriek and made to run, but he too was caught, not by a tendril of that horrible purple lightning but by the wrist of his companion, the youth's skin sloughing off by the pound, leaving muscle and bone visible.  
Mardruk could only stare in horror as the last human started to meet the same fate as his companions. Slowly, his skin began to brown, then blacken and shrivel, until he was nothing but a husk. The lightning withdrew from both corpses then, slowly snaking its way back to the cairn. It paused beside Mardruk, a tendril turning toward him as if it were looking at him. It moved forward, as if it was going to attack, and Mardruk jumped, swatting at it with his fist. The lightning shuddered, like it was laughing, then slithered away and back to the cairn. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Mardruk could hear the pulsing of his blood in his ears, the rapid beating of his heart and he swore everything for the nearest mile around could hear the sound too. The rocks of the cairn began to rumble, smaller rocks rolling out of their places on the grave and then the larger rocks began to roll. A blackened, skeletal hand reached up out of the rocks, pushing stones aside with a strength Mardruk could only imagine.

What had he set free?

The young orc warrior watched as the skeletal hand reached up toward the sunlight, a long blackened bone with strips of cloth hanging off that all too thin frame like a haggard flag proclaiming victory. Another hand was quick to follow. As the rocks rolled away, the cairn revealed a hastily dug hole and a corpse.

Mardruk nearly gagged at the sight of the blackened thing, the bones shifting and moving to force themselves up, old joints creaking and groaning. As the body pulled itself out of the cairn, the ragged bits of clothes and dried flesh sloughed off, revealing cream-white bone. Mardruk couldn't move, couldn't move even though he wanted to. Him, an orc warrior, wanted to run away with his tail between his legs. He wanted to run away from this creature! Whatever it was, it was powerful, Mardruk could feel that, and he could feel that it was old. Ancient, even. And powerful.

By the gods, it was powerful!

Those bones stretched, as if enjoying the sunlight and the slight breeze, and Mardruk watched in a mix of awe and horror as that purple lightning wrapped around those bones like an affectionate cat, twining around cream-white and working to cover all of the skeleton in some sort of living, purple blanket.

-What have I done? What have I done? What did I just set free?!- Mardruk screeched in his own head, unable to get his voice to work, unable to get his legs to move, unable to do anything he wanted to do. He was frozen. He was frozen by pure, unadulterated fear.

The purple lightning writhed and seethed, squirming around that skeleton and slowly turning from that dark colour to a lighter purple, lighter violet. Mardruk could see beneath that lightning, could see the cream-white bones gaining mass, muscles and sinew growing over that bone, flesh, skin, a blatantly male figure beneath that lightning. Long white hair spilled down an otherwise naked back, long, tapering ears pointing out and back from the locks. The lightning grew paler and paler until the skeleton, now a man, was fully covered by flesh and skin, standing naked in the sunlight. Mardruk felt his gorge rise.

He'd released a warlock.

A Sin'dorei warlock.

Glowing green eyes shifted in that deceptively young face and met Mardruk's own violet. Pale lips parted in a wicked grin as the warlock shifted his hands, the residual purple light that surrounded him glowing brighter until it quite simply popped. Covering that body was a simple black robe, the warlock's eyes narrowing at the young orc warrior.

"That's better, don't you think?"


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Mardruk stumbled backward, crashing down onto his backside and scrambling back from the warlock as the blood elf stalked forward a few steps. The warlock stretched his hands toward the sky, hands moving over his face, those long tapering ears, through his white hair as if trying to see if everything was there in its proper place. Those green eyes glinted dangerously at the young orc, the sharp point of a canine revealed as the warlock grinned at him.

"Thank you, little warrior." The warlock said, his voice cold as ice and just as smooth. "I can't begin to express my thanks to you. Those rocks were all too stuffy, an unsuitable grave for one such as myself. Though, I can't complain – those thieving rats were afraid of me. Just as you are."

Mardruk's back hit a rock shelf and he shivered. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" The warlock asked, an innocent note in his voice. "Do the elders no longer teach you children history?" He paused, green flicking up and down Mardruk's form. "Well, you are an orc."

"What's that got to do with anything?!"

"My dear child, it has everything to do with anything. You're an orc, which stands to reason you wouldn't be told the history of the Quel'dorei, the Sin'dorei rather. And I don't see any further reason to educate you." The warlock stepped forward, the small body situating itself between Mardruk's legs, the blood elf's hand pointing at Mardruk's throat. "Suffice to say, I'm letting you live, boy. I'm letting you live as a favour, as part of our agreement. I helped you, you brought those strong young human boys to me. Because of you, I'm free. Because of you, I once more walk the land of Azeroth. Thank you, boy."

Mardruk stared, violet eyes wide at the warlock. He felt it then, the familiar heat of anger, of hatred, of being used and cast aside. It was a hatred that had been in his bones since he was small, since he watched his mother walk away with a group of orc and leave him behind. It was a hatred he'd felt since he grew up, always unwanted, always unclean, as if it was because of him his mother had left him at the doorstep of Orgrimmar and had walked out of his life. That anger drove him to lash out at the warlock, his fist flying toward the Sin'dorei's head as quick as a striking snake. The Sin'dorei just kept smiling, and Mardruk's offending wrist snapped back, slamming into the rock, held there by a tendril of arcane energy. The warlock's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips turning up into a friendly little grin.

"Don't mistake this for mercy, child." The Sin'dorei said. "I'm letting you live as payment. That was our deal. If you continue this idiotic behaviour, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you the same way I killed those human boys, and I'll make it twice as painful for you. But you can't afford to die here, now can you?" The elf's eyes slid to the path where the charred bodies of the human knights lay. "Don't you have someone you need to see to?"

Mardruk's breath left him in a harried gasp. "Goran!"

The warlock stepped back as Mardruk jumped to his feet, the young orc bolting down the path, nearly stumbling over the charred bodies of the human knights as he went down. On the wind that chased him down, he could hear the vicious laughter of the warlock.

Mardruk ran as fast as he could. His lungs were burning, his legs felt leaden, but he still kept running. That plateau disappeared behind him, the young orc just bolting to the road where he'd left Goran. The orc warrior felt to a jog, then a walk, panting as he stared at the blood-smeared dirt, the corpse of one of the humans and the corpse of his horse, and the scuffmarks where movement had been hurried and vicious. He could see Goran's heavy boot-prints in the dirt, stepping and pivoting, avoiding the six horsemen and cutting them down as he moved. He was an expert fighter, a master at his creed. Goran wouldn't allow himself to be killed so easily. Mardruk stepped in Goran's footprints, following the trail and mimicking his master's steps, his heart hammering in his chest. All thoughts of the warlock, all thoughts of his anger, all thoughts that weren't important and weren't of his master fled his mind. He had to find Goran. He had to find the old orc and prove he was still alive.

But there was so much blood.

Mardruk crossed the road and came upon the corpse of a horse and its rider, the animal's head nearly severed from its neck and the human in just as bad a shape. The human hadn't been given a clean cut like the horse. It was a gloomy amusement Mardruk gleaned from the grisly sight; it was just like Goran to have more sympathy for an animal than an orc, or in this case, a human. He found more boot-prints, Goran's and five sets of smaller prints, surrounded by arcs of blood. Mardruk kept moving, finding another human body. This man's face was shorn in half, bloody teeth sticking out of the bottom half of his shorn jaw. Mardruk shivered and moved on, finding a place where Goran had been forced to his knees. A human arm lay in a pool of red blood, a human leg over there, a hand still gripping a sword there. Each limb was human and Mardruk began to breathe a sigh of relief. Goran was still alive.

Then he found an orc hand. Goran's hand, clenched tight around a sword. A human body lay near it, still breathing harshly. Mardruk stared at the human knight, not getting too close to the man. Three human casualties out of five men attacking, and Goran had lost a hand. Mardruk continued to follow the dance, seeing more and more blood that he slowly came to realize the blood was more and more orc and less and less human. He found one more human body before he found Goran.

The orc was on his back, a sword run through his gut. Near him lay the last human, the man sitting in the blood-soaked dirt, legs splayed before him as he stared at his opponent. He never saw Mardruk. The young orc bellowed loudly and swept up one of those knights' swords, and before the human even realized his life was in immediate danger, Mardruk was upon him. The orc swung the sword in his hand so hard that he actually lost his grip when the sword broke through the human's fragile neck, the head and blade going flying away. Mardruk stumbled to his knees, collapsing down in the dirt.

"Stupid brat." Goran choked out. "I told you to fucking… fucking run."

"Goran!" Mardruk scrambled to Goran's side, kneeling over the broken orc's frame. "You're alive!"

Goran laughed, then choked up blood as his stomach muscles twisted around the sword impaled in his gut. "I told you to run, boy."

"Yeah, I know. I did. And then I made it to this plateau and, Goran, there was a warlock up there!" Mardruk sat back on his heels as Goran swiped at his face. The older orc's thick fingers curled in the collar of Mardruk's chainmail and pulled the boy down close. "Goran?"

"Warlock." Goran gasped out. "What warlock?"

"A Sin'dorei." Mardruk didn't get to say more, Goran releasing him with a loud curse.

"You fool! You've released him?! You stupid, son of a gutter whore! I ought to kill you! Pull this sword out, lop your own fool head off!" Goran coughed up more blood, the old orc's rage giving him the strength to swat Mardruk upside his head. The young warrior stared wide-eyed at his mentor, violet eyes bright. "Why? Why, Mardruk?"

"I didn't know." Mardruk whispered. "I didn't know what it was. There was a voice, it said it'd help me, and I agreed. Who was he?"

Goran grunted. "Get this sword out of me. Build me a fire and give me some of that beer." When Mardruk had done what Goran had demanded, the old orc took a long swig of the alcohol and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "That warlock you released up there is a plague upon Azeroth. That warlock is Aljei Indoniniel, Aljei the Cruel."

Mardruk looked confused. "Who?"


	4. Chapter 4

Four

"Aljei was a powerful warlock, one whom all the young, aspiring fools wanted to apprentice to. Aljei was strict, demanding, but he was the best. Rarely did his apprentices survive the first year with him, but he had one that managed to not only survive his tests, but he managed to earn his respect. That apprentice grew powerful under Aljei's tutoring, but he also grew in arrogance. And Aljei let his young apprentice summon a demon into our world."

Goran took another swig of beer. Blood steadily pulsed out of the wound in his gut. "That demon," Goran continued, "at first obeyed the youngster because it was amusing. But that apprentice couldn't bind the demon he'd summoned. It was far too powerful for him, and Aljei knew this. But he let his apprentice learn it for himself and when the demon was done with the poor boy, it turned its attention to the town. And Aljei just stood there and watched as the demon destroyed the village. He laughed, in that devastation he laughed and he watched that demon slaughter hundreds. What he could have stopped with a word, he let happen until the demon had had its fill and quietly went back to its own plane.

"Aljei was forced to flee, but he did so with a swath of blood behind him. He killed his own people, women, children, it was all the same to him. They sealed him in that cairn as punishment, Mardruk. Immortal, he couldn't die under that rock. He was trapped, something he hated severely. But when the blood elves became mortal, that body of his died."

Mardruk felt cold. "Then… his spirit remained under that rock. And he used me to… to come back to life."

Goran choked in his laughter. "That's what Aljei does. Trick you into doing what he wants. Mardruk, you have to hunt him down. Before he regains his power. Before he becomes what he once was."

Mardruk shook his head. "I have to get you to Orgrimmar first!"

"There's no time boy!" Goran growled. "I'm strong enough to make it on my own. You have to go now. There's a horse around here somewhere; I can smell it. Take it. Get to a flight point and get to a main city. You need to get help for this."

Mardruk stared at his master but he got up from his kneeling position, and hunted down the animal. The horse whinnied and shied but Mardruk made it listen, bringing the animal over to Goran. He pulled the old orc into the saddle and strapped him in. Goran grunted. "What the hell are you doing?"

Mardruk looked up at the old orc and cinched the reins tight around the elder's hands. "I'm saving your ass. Then I'll save the fucking world." He slapped the horse's rear with a heavy blow. The animal lunged forward, kicking up dirt as it burst forward, running in one direction with the old orc on his back. Mardruk felt a cold fist settle in his gut as he picked up another sword. A hot breeze ruffled the young orc's black hair and he knew in that moment, he'd never see his teacher, the man who'd been like his father, again.

"All right." Mardruk hefted up that human sword and started walking. "Let's do this."

A cold shiver tore down her spine, tensing her body and forcing her to cut short her spell of healing. The wound on her kal'dorei companion's arm still oozed blood, but he wrapped it quickly in a mageweave bandage, his gold eyes focused on the mage. Her other companion stared at her, confused and worried. The tall kal'dorei shifted his weight, his lion giving a throaty growl in response to his master's sudden attention to the woman. On the other side of her, a blue-toned hand settled on the woman's shoulder. The draenei female angled her dark head down at the human, her blue eyes focused on green. The human woman shrugged.

"I felt something." Cassidia answered to the silent question. "It was like… a stone being thrown into a still lake. It was a powerful ripple."

The draenei frowned. "I didn't feel a thing."

"Because you're a paladin. I'm a mage." Cassidia frowned. "Serasin, your magic comes from an entirely different plane than mine. Tyrrandal, did you feel anything?"

The silent night elf hunter shook his head. "I wouldn't have. But I trust your instinct, Cassie."

The red-haired woman frowned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Serasin stamped her hoof and pivoted, her body tense under that chainmail and plate armour. Her hand went to her broadsword, her fingers curling around the pommel tightly. "I believe we should go to the nearest city. We could see if any other mages felt the same thing you did."

"The nearest city is Ratchet." Cassidia muttered. "We have to get through miles of the Barrens to get there."

Tyrrandal's eyes focused on the distance. "We don't have a choice. If others have felt what you did, they're going to be asking questions. Better to get answers sooner than later."

"I agree with the elf." Serasin said. "Besides, anything that attacks you is a fool."

Cassie shook her head and smiled. Surrounded by a paladin, a hunter and the hunter's pet, Cassie couldn't be in a safer place. "All right. Let's go to Ratchet. We're bound to run into someone who knows what's happening."

"Let's just hope that someone is friendly to the Alliance." Tyrrandal replied, earning a growl in agreement from his lion. When Cassidia just looked at the elf, he shrugged. "At least neutral."

Cassidia shook her head. "Let's just go. Before we get jumped or something."

The trio grabbed their gear, starting off toward the coastal town of Ratchet, hoping that whatever they felt wasn't something too horrible.

Cold eyes flicked to the sky, the jaundice yellow orbs focusing on some far away point. Slowly, he drew himself up and stepped away from the group he was with, getting far enough away that he could focus on what he was feeling without distraction. As the voices of the group faded into the background, the Forsaken priest focused on the feeling of helplessness, wondering what was making him react to an emotion he'd forgotten since he became undead. He felt someone draw up behind him, felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He glanced back at his companion, the green strands of his hair obscuring his view of her face. She just watched him and said nothing.

"Did you feel it?" He asked softly, as though he was simply asking about the weather.

"Feel what?"

He rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

His companion frowned. "Raichlos, don't 'never mind' me." She removed her hand from his shoulder and put her hands on her hips. "I know you."

The Forsaken priest simply stared at the warrior, his companion in undeath as she was in life. Finally, Raichlos shook his head. "It's nothing, Inkk. Just a feeling."

"The last time you had that 'just a feeling' feeling, we were nearly ambushed by a Scarlet scouting party." Inkk snapped. Raichlos glowered at the warrior, as if he were debating on whether or not to dent her skull with his staff. She simply watched him back, daring him to try what he was thinking of trying. "Go."

"What?"

"Go. You're obviously feeling something and you're not gonna be satisfied until you figure out what that feeling means."

Raichlos' jaundice yellow eyes narrowed. "Aren't you throwing me to the lion's den?"

Inkk grinned. "I wouldn't let a poor little priest like you wander the world without protection. Let me pull a few strings and I'll have you guarded like a prince."

Raichlos simply stared at the woman warrior and rolled his eyes. The problem with Inkk's idea of protection was that it was a far cry from a normal person's idea of protection. She had a tendency to hit first and ask questions later, and generally caused a great deal more pain than what was necessary. The same often went for her idea of bodyguards, who had the same reaction to violence as she did. Not that it was an actually bad thing in the long run, but it made completing tasks that much harder. Raichlos just shook his head and stepped back toward the group of Forsaken with his warrior bodyguard right behind him. Whatever he was feeling, it could wait a little while longer.

Not that he really cared.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

Mardruk pulled the oilskin further over his head, trying to keep the rain from soaking into his hair. He was standing outside the village limits of Ratchet, watching the ships moored at the dock. The storm was keeping the ships from leaving the seaside town, which set back Mardruk's plan by a good day or so. Still, he didn't even know what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to hunt down Aljei, but what then? What was he supposed to do after he caught Aljei? Ask him nicely to return to the cairn? Yeah, that was about as likely to happen as Arthas suddenly denouncing the Scourge and shacking up with Sylvanas. Mardruk snorted and started down into the neutral village. The least he could do was get out of the rain.

Goblins passed him by, muttering about their horrible jobs and horrible hours, how cold they were in the rain. Mardruk headed for the inn, knowing there would be a huge fire going, and it wouldn't be crowded, not with this weather.

Mardruk stepped into the warm common room of the inn and headed for a table, sitting down and setting about making a water puddle on the hardwood. A huge fire was crackling in the fireplace, little goblins huddling around the blaze as if it would make their little green bodies toasty. The door swung open before Mardruk could get a closer table, and in walked three people. Alliance people. Mardruk froze as he saw them – a kal'dorei, a human, and a draenei. Granted Ratchet was kind of a neutral town, but it didn't stop violence. If Mardruk so much as sneezed funny, the trio over at the table closest to the fire could take it as a threat. Which would make Mardruk severely outnumbered, and last time he checked one warrior – an apprentice at that – couldn't fight against a hunter, a mage, and a paladin at one time and live to tell about it.

And it wasn't like the hunter and paladin would just stand back and let Mardruk murder their mage friend. Mardruk shivered.  
So far, they hadn't noticed him sitting there. Which suited the young orc just fine, considering having the Alliance on his ass would be a headache to end all headaches. He just wanted clues on how to find Aljei, and then he'd be out of Ratchet and on his way.

And then the human's eyes locked with his.

They were a pretty shade of green, complimenting the woman's red hair. Her eyes went wide, as if he were about to lunge toward her and throttle her. She suddenly rose and pointed at Mardruk, shouting something in the human tongue.

On instinct the young orc backpedaled, knocking himself flat on the floor. He wasn't down long, coming to his feet with his broadsword in hand. Embarrassment was the last thing on his mind as the draenei paladin moved toward him, her hooves pounding a wicked beat on the hardwood. Their blades collided with a shower of sparks, and Mardruk twisted, parrying and quickly riposted to drive the draenei back. The bloodlust sang in his blood when she came at him again, parrying his blow and twisting her blade to lock their swords at the hilt. They pressed flush together for a split second, then Mardruk twisted away with a snarl. The draenei echoed him and lunged forward, only to fall flat on her face with a lion proudly sitting on her back.

The kal'dorei had Mardruk sighted, though, and the arrow nocked to his bow certainly seemed strong enough to punch through chainmail. The hunter's eyes flicked to the sword Mardruk held. "Sheathe it." The elf commanded in Common. "Let's have a peaceful chat."

Mardruk looked at the paladin on the floor. "She'll be the first to go for my throat once I put away my blade. I think I'll keep it right where it is."

The kal'dorei shrugged as if it was of no consequence drew back on his bow a little more.

"Enough!" the mage shouted. "Serasin, Tyr, put everything away! I am NOT getting kicked out into the rain!" She turned her gaze to Mardruk. "You, too!"

"Who do you think you are, ordering me around?" Mardruk snapped back.

"I think I'm the one who outnumbers you." The female replied.

"You've called your friends to put their weapons away. I'd say you're in a rough spot."

"Mage. Warrior. Besides, there's a lion behind you that'd love to chew your face off, orc." The mage – insufferable bitch – smirked. "So let's play nice in the sandbox, eh?"

Mardruk scowled, but the lion quietly snarling away behind him made agreeing to the armistice a good idea. As the draenei got to her feet, Mardruk slid his broadsword into its sheath.

"Good boy." The mage said with a nasty smile. "Now, why're you traveling alone?"

"Why're you traveling with friends?" Mardruk shot back.

The woman scowled. "I asked first."

"I asked second. You're the one who instigated contact by shouting whatever it was you said. Therefore, you answer first."

The mage's scowl deepened, but she didn't summon a fireball to make him a crispy critter. "Fine. I said you carry a taint."

Mardruk shrugged. "All my people carry a taint. Green skin. Fel. Automatically marked for annihilation. Your point is?"

"Not that kind of taint, jackass." The mage shot back. "You were touched by powerful but dark magic. Warlock magic."

Mardruk's stunned look wasn't all that fake. "You can sense that?"

"Mage."

Oh. Right. "So what'd you do?" the woman continued. "You screw a warlock's woman or something?"

"Why do you humans jump to the conclusion all orcs are barbaric, incestuous, woman-bashing dickheads?" Mardruk asked.

"Because you are?" the draenei replied snidely. Mardruk shot her a venomous glare.

"At least my people aren't slaves to Illidan and his bitch Kael'thas."

The draenei hissed and started forward. The kal'dorei stopped her with a sword blade at her throat and a shake of the head.

Mardruk scowled and focused o the human woman. "Do you know of Aljei?"

This time the woman's scowl wasn't venomous or directed at him. "Aljei the Destroyer? The blood elf warlock who annihilated entire villages because he could?"

"Yeah. That one."

"He's dead."

Mardruk winced and shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Well, he has to be. The sin'dorei lost their immortality a few years ago. He couldn't have survived much longer after that." The mage said.

Mardruk sighed. "He was dead. Sort of. I kind of… brought him back."

The woman started laughing so hard she had to sit down. "You're no necromancer."

Mardruk frowned. "He was alive. I heard him in my head. He killed two human paladins to restore his body. His powers are coming back, and I need to stop him."

The night elf frowned and stroked his lion's nose. "He's not lying, Cassie."

The redheaded woman sobered. "That strange disturbance I felt, that was Aljei being released, wasn't it?"

Mardruk cautiously nodded.

"Idiot!" Cassie exploded. "How could you do something so stupid?!"

"Hey, I was fighting for my life! If you were being chased by orcs who wanted to kill you simply because you're human, you'd have done the same!" Mardruk retorted. "I'm going to stop him, and put him back under those thrice-damned rocks!"

"I'd really enjoy seeing dat." The draenei, Serasin, said with a smile.

"He'll kill you before you even get close." Tyr, the kal'dorei, said. "Aljei is a warlock, no matter how powerful. You're a warrior. He'd destroy you without a second thought."

"And you're all just thinking that'd be awesome, wouldn't it?" Mardruk asked bitterly.

Cassie shook her head. "I'll admit seeing you die wouldn't break my heart, but I won't let you go up against Aljei alone. Don't get me wrong, orc. I'm not doing it to help you. Aljei is dangerous to everyone."

"Oh, I feel so relieved now." Mardruk replied sarcastically. "I can go up against him with confidence now that I have three Alliance assholes at my back."

Tyr choked back what Mardruk took for a laugh. Cassie's eyes narrowed at him before she looked at Mardruk. "At least we won't stab you in the back until the task is done."

Mardruk eyed Serasin for a long while. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." He muttered under his breath.


	6. Chapter 6

Six

"Dis is de pits, mon. What'd we do to deserve dis? Nuttin', dat's what!"

"Peritali, stop complaining. The Greatmother assigned me this task, not you. You chose to help."

The troll shaman lifted her head from her task and glowered at the Tauren druid staring at her with calm brown eyes. Peritali muttered another curse and grumbled as she pulled farstrider feathers from the huge pile they'd collected. Nolay just shook her great head at her friend's typical complaining and went back to her own task.

The pair had been friends since childhood, ever since Peritali had journeyed to Thunder Bluff to continue her shaman training. At the same time, Nolay had been learning the druidic ways, and the two had discovered similarities in their work that made them the perfect team. Almost. Peritali was a complainer, even with the simplest task.

Nolay heaved a sigh and knelt down to examine the feathers Peritali was rescuing from the mashed pile. The Tauren froze almost immediately, her hand hovering over the earth.

"Nolay?" Peritali questioned.

"Shh." Nolay closed her eyes, trying to get a sense of what she was feeling.

It was odd. Violent and passionate, like the moving earth, and yet terrible like a thunderstorm. The land was crying out, yelling in fierce terror/agony, but Nolay couldn't figure out why.

Deep in her mind, she heard a fierce howling, nothing at all comforting by the way the sound roared through her mind. It was a warning at the same time it was a condemnation, damning all those who had wrong whatever it was that was making the earth howl so. Nolay opened her eyes and looked at Peritali. The troll made a 'well?' face as she canted her head to the side.

Nolay could only shrug. "Something's wrong. I don't know what but we should go back to Thunder Bluff and tell one of the elders."

"If it's that nasty, den de elders'll come get us." Peritali protested. Nolay only glowered at the troll female until Peritali threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine!" the shaman exclaimed. "Fine. We'll go back. I don' like it none, d'ough."

Nolay only shook her head and got to her hooves, looking toward the great rise that was Thunder Bluff. She was unnerved, but she wasn't sure why. Still, something was setting events in a maelstrom motion, and she wanted to find out what, even if she wouldn't be allowed to do anything about it.

Raichlos shuffled toward the inn's window, filmy eyes staring out of equally filmy glass. He rubbed the glass absently, wiping away years of collected dust and cobwebs. He hated that his effort didn't do much to clear the glass, but then, he really didn't care. The Forsaken had long ago given up trying to keep anything but himself and his gear in exquisite shape, and it was a trend picked up by almost ever Forsaken that didn't live solely in Undercity.

Keeping yourself from rotting to pieces or cleaning the windows to a living person's idea of clean…? Hm. Hard choice that.  
The priest was in rather spectacular shape for one who had been dead for nearly twelve years. He hadn't lost a body part yet, but he was sure that would change soon. If not by the daily workings of life then by his warrior companion who somehow made herself scarce when it came to buying goods.

Raichlos wiped his fingers on his robes and turned to look at the shelves that lay bare. Forsaken didn't need much, but it was nice to pretend they didn't need to cannibalize their human kills. Raichlos smirked and remembered the way the Scarlet had tasted going down. Bitchy, with a hint of self-righteousness. He shook himself and drew away from the bare shelves, continuing to wander the shop that had nothing to offer.

The Light pulsed against his consciousness.

Raichlos frowned deeply, trying to pinpoint the source. Was a Highlord coming? Or was it a damned Scarlet raid again? Outside, he heard a shrill scream and the priest moved out of the shop to the street, staring with others as a warlock writhed in the dirt. The Forsaken male screeched and arched like he was being tortured, but Raichlos couldn't sense anything out of place. Bone snapped as the warlock twisted at an odd angle, yet still he writhed. Finally, Raichlos moved, picking up his staff and bringing it down hard on the warlock's skull. Over and over, the priest smashed the skull, until it was a fluidy, mushy mass.

And the damned warlock had stopped screaming.

Raichlos stared at the quickly rotting body with disgust. Others around him eyed the priest warily. When Raichlos locked eyes with one he assumed was the warlock's companion, he twitched his finger in a silent command.

Quickly, the mage sprung over to the priest's side. "What happened?" Raichlos asked, voice rusty and more a night whisper than much else.

The mage swallowed a few times. "He was fine until just before the crowd came. All of a sudden he started screaming, but not incoherently like…" the mage gestured to the mess of his friend. "Said something about revenge, about proper prisons. I don't know what he meant, honest!"

The priest's frown deepened. It was too late to ask the warlock. Raichlos growled softly. "Were there other incidents like this?"

"I don't know. But I felt something weird a few weeks back, like something horrible woke up."

Raichlos glowered at the mage. "That defines everything around here."

If the mage had been capable, he probably would've flushed with embarrassment. Raichlos shook his head. The Light continued to pulse, as if warning him something was coming. But what? Raichlos knew he couldn't get any answers here. Undercity was the likeliest place for answers, he figured, but Silvermoon was closer.

If anything, those mana-eating bastards would have something to do with what's happening. This was probably their fault anyhow. Raichlos grumbled as he moved to retrieve his belongings and realized he'd be abandoning his own companion.

Oh well.

If she wasn't with him, then there was nothing he could do.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

Mardruk glowered at Cassie's back as they walked. He was hemmed in, an Alliance on either side, preventing him from running off or escaping. They'd caught a ship from Ratchet to Booty Bay, and were heading north from there, seeking to gain entry into Alliance-held lands. Mardruk didn't know exactly where Aljei was going, but since he was a sin'dorei (or rather, a high elf, before they'd all went and got destroyed by Arthas) Mardruk figured starting at Silvermoon hadn't been such a bad idea.

Still, he couldn't go by any of the normal routes since he had three Alliance clinging to him, so maybe he'd get lucky and Aljei would cause some destruction and give him a clue as to where to go, provided they didn't reach Silvermoon first.

"We're being followed." Tyrrandal said suddenly. Serasin's glower immediately fell on Mardruk.

The orc glowered back. "I didn't tell anyone who we are or why we're traveling together, so lay off!"

Serasin snorted. "It's obvious. We, de foul Alliance, kidnapped you and are taking you for execution."

"Really? And here I thought we were just out for an afternoon stroll."

Serasin hissed, the paladin's tail whipping from side to side in display of her wish to hit him. Cassidia simply shook her head, then looked at the kal'dorei. "How far off?"

"A mile, maybe less. They aren't in a hurry, whatever they are. Certainly not a rescue party."

"We're getting close to Duskwood; maybe it's undead?"

Tyr shrugged. "I would think they'd be ahead, not behind. The only other undead were back in those ruins, and if they were going to attack, they'd have done it then."

"Demons." Mardruk said suddenly. The other three looked at him quizzically. "Aljei is a warlock, right? A really powerful one. He could summon demons to watch us."

"Because he knows you're trying to stop him?" Cassie asked skeptically.

Mardruk shrugged. "I don't even know what I'm trying to stop him from doing, but yeah. He's freshly freed, not back up to his full strength. A big enough group could take him down again. It's like a raid, only much less confusing."

Tyr nodded when Cassie looked at him. "There's something he wants to do, no doubt people he wants to get revenge on. He needs time to regain his strength. If we get too close, there's a good chance we'll be able to beat him."

"He wants to avoid that." Mardruk added. "So if he has the strength to destroy us, that's what he'll do."

Serasin snorted. "We don't need YOUR input, green-skin."

Mardruk glowered at the draenei. "All right. You can fight Aljei on your own then. I'll just head to Light's Hope on my own and catch a bat to Silvermoon. And good luck with getting past Tranquillien and the guards outside Silvermoon's gate, too. I wish you all the best." He swept his arm across his chest in an exaggerated, mocking bow, and took a step forward down the road.

Cassie latched onto his arm and pulled. "You aren't leaving us to deal with this!"

"You're the ones who chose to follow me in the first place!" Mardruk argued back.

"Quiet!" Tyr ordered, his lion snarling to make sure everyone obeyed. The hunter peered down the trail behind them, as though if he concentrated hard enough, their pursuers would become clear to him.

Mardruk felt it then, that cold cruelty he had a taste of in his encounter with Aljei upon the warlock's rebirth. He shivered, his fingers instinctively curling around the hilt of his broadsword. Goran's words echoed in his mind the entire time. – Don't run in blind. – the old orc had told him. – You're bound to do more than just get yourself killed doing that. If you're outmatched, run. There's no dishonour in retreating to the high ground. –

Still, Mardruk knew these three would hold their ground. He had no choice but to stand with them, even when his instincts told him to run. When Duskwood would be saver than Stranglethorn's roads.

Mardruk hissed as he saw them, three giant constructs of the very earth and stone they stood on. Aljei had that much power already? He heard soft expletives from the human woman behind him and realized sourly that this was the first time they had ever encountered Aljei's powers. Now they had an idea of who – and what – they were chasing.

"What do we do?" Tyrrandal asked, slowly nocking an arrow as though it'd do any good.

"We run." Mardruk replied. "As fast as we can."

"Scared, little orc?" Serasin asked with a smirk. Mardruk glowered at her. She tossed her horned head and stepped forward, Light shining around her hands. "His powers are still weak. We'll be able to defeat him with little trouble."

"You sure are confident." Mardruk replied dryly.

Serasin gave him a vicious smile and released her spell. The divine hammer slammed down on the center construct and the creature began to crumble. The draenei gave the orc an 'I told you' smirk then yelped as Mardruk lunged at her. He and Serasin collided and slammed into the ground as a giant pillar of stone shot over them. Serasin stared at the mass as it retreated, realizing with a notion of sickness that her head would've been pulp on those stone knuckles.

Mardruk hauled himself up and pulled the paladin to her feet, stepping back toward Cassie. The three constructs kept advancing, even the crumbling one.

"Aljei didn't get his reputation by snuggling kittens." Mardruk told Serasin. "Even when you think he's weak, there's always some trick to look out for."

"So what do we do?" Cassie asked. "If we can't beat them, and they won't stop chasing us, what do we do?"

Mardruk backed up a few steps, his boots kicking up dust. He glanced down, then back at the golems. He took a few more steps back, then laughed. "We cheat. Cassie, you have water spells, right?"

Cassie looked at him oddly. "Not exactly."

"But you have something that could turn this dirt into quicksand, right?"

Her green eyes brightened and a devious grin spread across her face. Tyr, Serasin, and Mardruk quickly moved toward stable ground, hunter and paladin readying their bows to protect from long distance. Mardruk kept a little closer to the human mage, in case she needed him. Cassie focused on the dirt before her, calling upon her arcane powers to mold them into her ice spell, the fire witch calling on every drop of mana she had at her disposal. The ground around her became coated in a thick layer of ice, Stranglethorn's own heat beginning to melt the ice into water. The earth couldn't soak up more than perhaps a third of it, and soon, the dirt became mud, and Cassie had to retreat before she was sucked down. The constructs continued forward stupidly, and the first stepped into the mud. Its leg sunk in to the knee, causing it to topple forward. Its other two companions stopped at the edge as if watching their comrade struggle with the mire it was stuck in.

Those heads swiveled toward the four companions standing safely on the other side, their sightless eyes giving the distinct feeling that those eyes weren't so sightless after all.

Then, the golems simply crumbled.

"What the hell was THAT?!" Cassie yelled, pointing at the pile of rubble.

"A warning." Tyr said as he eased up on his bowstring. "Aljei is watching us. We aren't a huge threat yet, and he has time. He won't kill us until we pose a danger to him, but he wants us to know he can."

The four companions shivered. "Let's just get to Silvermoon. We can figure out what to do from there." Mardruk said.

To the orc's surprise, the three Alliance agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

The weather had changed drastically over Thunder Bluff, thick sheets of rain pounding down on the roofs, almost drowning out the roar of thunder and the flash of lightning. Nolay let the hide door fall back into place and moved back to the fire where Peritali sat, the troll staring into the flames as though she could see something.

Nolay hadn't been the only one to sense something was wrong. The other druids in her order, especially her masters, had felt what she had.

And they'd all witnessed a young apprentice warlock throw herself from Thunder Bluff's highest rise, screaming something about revenge. There hadn't been much of the poor girl left to send back to her family.

Nolay paced because she was restless. Both she and Peritali, along with countless other youngsters, had been ordered to remain in Thunder Bluff while the elders discussed the situation and sought more information. The young Tauren knew she had to do something before some brave adventurers decided to get up and defeat it after it had murdered countless innocents.

Peritali shifted, and sat back from the fire, her pale blue-green face looking drawn. The troll tugged at the tail her hair was up in, a nervous gesture. Nolay moved to kneel beside her best friend and put a hand on her shoulder. Peritali placed her hand over Nolay's and sighed.

"D'ere's not much I could see," she confessed, "but what I DID see, what de spirits let me see, is frightenin'."

Nolay canted her head. "What did you see?"

Peritali swallowed. "Destruction. Death. Somethin' dangerous got released and de path of dat somethin' be crossin' wit' ours. But we ain't alone, Nolay. D'ere are seven o'der paths crossed wit' ours. Dey be in Silvermoon."

"Silvermoon?"

Peritali shrugged. "I only be repeatin' what de spirits tell me, Nolay. We can't be sittin' and waitin' now."

Nolay frowned, pulling back from the shaman to stare into the fire that would tell her nothing. They had to go, the spirits said. But could they get past the elevator guards? And the rain made visibility almost nothing.

"Nolay." Peritali shifted, rose, and began packing two bags. "We can't wait. De decision's been made."

"Right." Nolay rose and moved to help her friend, pulling a pair of musty oilskin cloaks from a trunk. She handed one to Peritali and drew on her own. "It'd be easier if we could fly."

Peritali smirked. "We take de zeppelin to Orgrimmar, and from dere to Undercity. De Orb of Translocation will get us into de sin'dorei city."

Nolay shivered. "I hate zeppelins."

"It's dat or on foot, and we have an ocean to cross."

"For which we could take a ship."

Peritali smiled. "True enough. An' den whoever we're supposed to cross paths with could be gone."

The druid crossed her arms and glowered at the troll shaman. "Why do you have to be so practical?"

"Because I'm a Darkspear, mon. De voodoo is what we do." Peritali replied with a wider smile. "Now, let's go. De rain will give us cover an' by de time anyone realizes we're gone, we'll be halfway dere."

"I hope you're right, Peri." Nolay said as the pair headed out into the rain. "I hope you're right."


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

Raichlos hated warm weather. It sped up the decay of his body for one, and it made flies look at him as dinner, for two. It sucked like hell and the priest was barely into the heart of Eversong Forest. Silvermoon lay more than a mile ahead.

Raichlos glowered at the grasses beneath his feet. He grumbled the entire time, but it was his fault really. He'd elected to walk from Tranquillien to Silvermoon rather than take a bat. Hawstrider. Whatever. Even being dead, his stomach still rolled at the thought of the dragonhawk's ungainly up-and-down motion. It was like being on a rather choppy ocean, in a tiny skiff, and if you leaned too far in either direction you'd tumble off into the dark churning water.

Or in this case, into the Dead Scar.

So Raichlos chose to walk, and it was by great misfortune that he came across a rather odd group of a human, a draenei, a kal'dorei, and an orc.

"This is a strange kind of orgy, isn't it?" Raichlos asked in that monotone voice, startling the paladin to her feet.

The orc just shrugged. "Only you couldn't pay me enough."

"Mm. The human looks fine enough, but the draenei looks a bit too bony. And the elf looks about as straight as a coiled snake."

The kal'dorei's eyes narrowed. The orc smirked. "He's an eunuch," he said in Orcish.

Raichlos smirked. "So you say. Have you inspected the merchandise?"

"I sort of trust what I've been told."

The human female glowered at both Horde operatives. "In Common, if you don't mind."

The orc rolled his eyes. "It's odd to see a Forsaken this far north."

"Odd to see an orc traveling with Alliance, too." Raichlos counted. "You come through the Thalassian Pass?"

"Straight up the fucking Dead Scar." The orc affirmed.

"Our destination is Silvermoon." The mage interjected. "Yours, priest?"

"A mighty coincidence," Raichlos muttered. "I'm going to Silvermoon myself."

"Why?"

Raichlos stared at the draenei. "I'm Horde. It's a Horde city. Why do you go to Ironforge or Stormwind?"

The paladin stomped her hoof and glowered back at the undead priest. Raichlos looked away from her and back to the orc. "You're aware of what's been happening then?"

The orc's face betrayed little surprise. "What's been happening?"

Raichlos shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual. Warlocks screaming as though they're being torn apart before killing themselves." His milky eyes focused on the way the human woman flinched. Then he looked back to the warrior. "You know why, don't you."

The orc almost squirmed. "You ever hear of Aljei?"

Raichlos frowned. Then he shook his head a negative. The orc launched into his tale, recounting what had happened – what he'd done – and Raichlos very much wanted to call the warrior a fucking idiot. And he did. With varying degrees of creativity. The priest finally shook his head, rubbing his chin as Mardruk finished his story. "And from there, you met these three."

"Cassidia, Tyrrandal, and Serasin." Mardruk introduced them. In Orcish he said, "Three pains in my ass and the draenei wants to kill me."

"Who doesn't?" Raichlos muttered to himself. "So you, Mardruk, are the reason why perfectly sane warlocks are committing suicide? How delightful."

"Hey," Cassidia snapped, "why don't you help instead of just gloat?"

"Because I like gloating? And it isn't my problem." Raichlos said. "Out of whatever noble need you Alliance desire, you're helping that idiot. I don't have to."

"Mm. But how long before Aljei stops targeting warlocks and goes after priests?" The kal'dorei, Tyrrandal, asked. He calmly stroked his lion's chin. "True, their powers come from the Light, but for a powerful warlock like Aljei, don't you think he'd find a way around that?"

Raichlos shot Tyr a dirty look. "Suppose I say I'd rather take my chances, what'll you do then?"

"Nothing. We can't force you to save your own ass."

Raichlos glowered at the night elf that calmly refused to look at him. The damn elf had a point. They couldn't force him to save his own ass, and statistically speaking, a priest trying to save his ass on his own was a dead priest. The Forsaken let out a sound that seemed between a sigh and a growl. "Why don't you just put my balls in a vice?" he asked.

"It wouldn't do any good." Serasin replied dryly. "Dey don't work anymore."

Raichlos glowered at the draenei and resolved to eat her first. "Fine." He grumped. "Fine! I'll join your little party. But I'm not doing it out of love for any of you!"

"Forsaken can love?" Cassie asked with feigned surprise.

Raichlos made a rude gesture. "It may not work, sweetheart, but there are other ways to get kicks."

"All right, enough." Mardruk growled. "The longer we stand here and bicker, the longer Aljei has to get away."

Raichlos would've made a snide comment if the looks on the other's faces hadn't been so dark. So he swallowed it, for now, and followed his group toward Silvermoon, toward whatever foolish adventure he'd gotten himself caught up in.


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

For a city that had suffered so much damage, Silvermoon seemed to be thriving. Children ran freely in the streets, something that hadn't been done for years after Arthas tore through on his way to the Sunwell, and people spoke easily about topics that would've gotten them killed.

For Chairon, it was a simple but boring existence.

That wasn't to say there was a shortage of tasks for a rogue such as he. The guild was almost always involved in one political assassination or another, ferrying precious cargo back and forth from holding to holding, or escorting someone in need of a shadow guard as well as a guard meant for the open road. Still, Chairon, raised as a killer for hire since the day he'd been born, often found those tasks boring. He longed for adventure, for a challenge.

"You must be Chairon."

The blonde-haired rogue unfolded from his window seat to look at the newcomer, his lightly mana-touched green eyes narrowing just a bit as he smiled in that dangerous way. "If I am, then you must be my contact, mister warlock."

The stranger lifted an elegant white brow. "Could tell that right off, could you?"

"I've had years of practice. Besides, you reek of arcane."

"Bluntly put. I could kill you for that."

"You could." Chairon said lightly. "But if you'd intended to kill me for my attitude, we still wouldn't be talking." The young rogue gestured to a chair. "You wanted a rogue so here I am."

The warlock smiled. "Little boy, you play dangerous games." But he sat, eyes focused on Chairon's face. Chairon simply shrugged, as if he didn't particularly care. He sat forward, elbows on his knees, chin propped on his folded fists, and he waited for his client to put the deal before him. The warlock smiled, and Chairon felt a distinct flavour of cruelty in the air. "I've asked around, and they say you're the best at assassinations."

"Mm. They'd better watch what they say." Chairon murmured. "I'm good at what I do, mister warlock."

"Precisely." The warlock reached onto his robes and withdrew a sack of gold coins. "Full pay, up front. I'll leave the details to you, but there's a certain orc I'd like to have disposed of."

Chairon's eyes flicked to the cloth sack, then back to the warlock's face. "An orc? He sleep with your woman or something?"

The warlock chuckled. "He's following me, you see, and will become a generous thorn in my side unless he's dealt with. He's outlived his usefulness."

"I see." Chairon canted his head and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he leaned back with a smile. "I would've thought with your power and abilities, you could take care of him yourself."

"While this is true, it isn't as exciting. Besides, little rogue, it's my assignment or a lovely tour of the Ghostlands escorting some idiot mage."

Chairon's smile was blank. "Do you have a time frame?"

"Not really. Just try to kill him before the game ends, hm?"

Chairon reached to pick up the sack of gold. "I like games."

Aljei leaned back in his chair and smiled at the young rogue. "I know you do."


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

Nolay and Peritali arrived in Silvermoon through Undercity's Orb of Translocation. After greeting Lor'themar, the two young women hurried out of the Sunspire and into the main part of the city. Peritali tapped her lips as she studied the contents of her teacup, while Nolay simply closed her eyes and listened. The voices of the other patrons of the shop disappeared, then the sounds of the outside, until everything but the sounds of the earth were left. It whimpered in pain from the Dead Scar, but it was an old pain, one Nolay could ignore. She focused on the other sounds, and then she heard the same howling she heard a few weeks before. It was louder as if she were right beside it. But this one had a different sound, one that made Nolay feel as though she were standing on a clear, gentle pond amidst roaring waves. It was the same roar, still violent and holding the desire for revenge, but at the same time there was a flavour of gentleness to it.

Nolay opened her eyes and focused on a young orc warrior desperately trying to plead some case to the host of sin'dorei guards surrounding him and his group.

"Are dose Alliance?" Peritali asked, leaning up a little so she could see better.

"I think so. A human, a kal'dorei, and a draenei." Nolay answered. "But why would an orc and a Forsaken travel with them?" She paused, as though she had the answer to her own question. She turned to Peritali, the Tauren's eyes wide. "It's him."

"What?"

"The orc. He's the one with the roar I can hear. Whatever caused those warlocks to go insane, he's the catalyst."

Peritali frowned as she looked from her friend to the group that was desperately trying not to get arrested or killed. Then she looked back to the druid. "You're sure? Absolutely sure?"

Nolay nodded. "I feel it, Peri. The very stones of Silvermoon are telling me that orc boy is the cause. Maybe the cure."

Peritali licked her fingers free of the honeycake crumbs and rose, smoothing out her skirts. "Don't do anything dangerous," Nolay begged.

Peritali smirked. "Who? Me?"

Nolay could only sit and watch as Peritali sauntered over to the group and flung her arms around the kal'dorei as though he were an old friend. Judging by his startled look, he had no idea what was going on, but he seemed amicable to playing along at least, and gingerly returned the hug. Peritali tugged on the orc's arm, bringing the entire group over to where Nolay sat. The received odd glances, but no one seemed discontent enough to cause a fuss. After all, the three Alliance were now outnumbered by the four Horde, and they were in a Horde city. Nolay rose to greet the new guests, giving her apologies for the shaman.

Introductions given, Nolay sat on Cassie's right, and folded her hands in her lap. "It isn't coincidence we've all been brought here."

"Of course not," Raichlos said airily. "There just isn't anything better to do than run off on a grand adventure. Oh! Let's go to Northrend next! I hear the weather there is nice and cold with a high chance of death."

"Shut up, Rai." Tyrrandal said. Raichlos shot the hunter a venomous glower.

Mardruk rubbed his chin. "Look, I'm the one who made the mistake of unleashing him. There's no reason why you all have to come with me."

"Of course we have to go with you." Cassie said sharply. "You can't hope to succeed on your own. Besides, we're already involved whether you want us to be or not. I've felt what Aljei's resurrection caused; we've heard about it."

"I can hear the land crying out," Nolay added. "It seeks to right want went wrong. If this Aljei is truly as powerful as you say he is, you'll need all our skills, not just your own."

Mardruk opened his mouth as though to say something, then thought better of it and simply folded his arms over his chest. "There's a good boy," Serasin said, reaching to squeeze Mardruk's cheek.

Cassie casually slapped the paladin's hand away. "The seven of us should be able to take Aljei down without a problem. However," she trailed off, her green eyes falling down to the table's surface, "however, we don't know where he is or what he's going after."

"I may be able to help you there."

A young sin'dorei slipped up to their table, blonde hair pulled over one shoulder, his green eyes bright. Tyr felt his body tense in response to the smaller elf, knowing him as one predator knew another. The rogue acknowledged Tyr's motion with a short-lived but dangerous smile, then refocused on Mardruk. "I couldn't help but overhear you were looking for a warlock called Aljei."

Mardruk frowned. "You mean you were spying on us."

The blood elf somehow managed to look properly offended. "It's not like it was for a lack of trying. Anyway, if you don't want my help, I guess I'll just be on my way."

"Wait." Cassie called. "You know where Aljei is heading?"

"I was hired to find him, so, yeah, I have a pretty good idea."

Peritali nudged Nolay in the ribs with her elbow. "What do you think?"

Nolay frowned. "Well, he isn't lying. But then, he's a rogue. They're trained to tell a lie as though it's truth. Still…" She shook her great head. "I don't see a reason why we shouldn't let him guide us. After all, what we're after, he's after."

The little rogue just waited patiently, hands on his hips, eyes flicking over the faces of those gathered. Slowly, everyone turned to look at Mardruk, as if expecting him to make the final decision. The orc was at a loss. He hadn't expected to undertake this journey and end up with seven extra people in tow. He thought of Goran, of how the old veteran would've reacted if he were in this position. Mardruk's allies were powerful, he knew that much, and it was a well-rounded group for taking on an adversary such as Aljei. Mardruk would be a fool to dismiss the strength that had, by choice or design, gathered around him. Even the rogue who had yet to name himself.

"Fine." Mardruk said at last. "Fine. You can come, show us the way. But I don't like how I'm the leader."

Cassie smiled warmly, but it only sent shivers down Mardruk's spine. "Your quest. Your lead. Unless you want to admit you're a scared little puppy."

Mardruk stared at the smug human wench. Thrall's balls, he wished he could hit her! "We go after Aljei as soon as everyone's read. Rogue–"

"Chairon." The blood elf supplied happily.

Mardruk ground his teeth. "Chairon, you know where he's going, so we'll follow your lead."

"Very well." Chairon smiled. "May I suggest haste? He could get ahead of us."

Mardruk nodded. Chairon kept his smile easy and friendly, but he just couldn't believe how easy it had been to get close. Either Mardruk was just horribly naïve, or Chairon was just that good. Whatever it was, it suited the rogue just fine.


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

Aljei had a good two-day's lead on them, and signs of his passing seemed to be everywhere. More warlocks were dying, some incredibly powerful while others seemed to serve no purpose at all. Mardruk couldn't figure out what the elf's game was. Did he simply want to wipe out warlocks as a whole or was there some method to his madness? From Tirisfal they caught a zeppelin to Orgrimmar, and from there they slowly began to follow Aljei's trail south toward Feralas. They encountered the typical beasts and sometimes one or two of Aljei's constructs.

Mardruk and Serasin often took the brunt of these attacks, with Chairon acting as back up with Tyrrandal. Cassie, Nolay, Peritali, and Raichlos alternated between healing and offense, and all tried to deal with the battles quickly. Each moment they spent fighting was another moment Aljei received to cause destruction.

They met other groups who were on similar journeys, and their interactions with Alliance groups were laced with agitation. Towns welcomed their gold without question, and Chairon would put them in the right direction come morning.

Then strange things began to happen.

They would go too far in the wrong direction, or things would disappear. More than once, Mardruk felt that his life was in danger, though he couldn't see the cause. By the time they reached Feralas, everyone's tempers were frayed. Snapping and snarling didn't come from Tyrrandal's lion, but rather the bipedal members of the group.

So it stood to reason what when they encountered the yeti of Feralas, those poor yeti never stood a chance.

Aljei was running then ragged, Mardruk knew. He was probably hoping they'd give up and let him be. Mardruk didn't care if anyone else decided to turn back – he wasn't, not until Aljei was back in that cairn in the Barrens, or dead. Mardruk simply bulled ahead, trying to ignore the way Cassidia's voice was grating on his nerves. The woman had the incredible ability to pick out and flaunt Mardruk's weaknesses, and so far all the young orc had done was grit his teeth and ignore her. He wanted to hit her, shut her up, something, but he refrained, either to show he wasn't a monster like many thought or because she'd fry him before he got close.

Chairon paused ahead of Mardruk, his green eyes focused on something off the beaten path. The lithe sin'dorei drew up, as though he was about to attack something, but he didn't move. When Mardruk came to stand beside him, he saw what was making the rogue tense. Bodies. Ogre bodies so still and so white. Nolay put her hand to her muzzle when she saw them and made a sound of disbelief.

"What the hell happened here?" Raichlos asked, stepping forward and gauging the destruction with a critical eye.

Mardruk squared his shoulders and drew his broadsword, heading down into the destruction despite the protesting noise the shaman and druid made.

Chairon was beside him, something that made Mardruk both thankful and nervous. Slowly, the others followed them down, cautiously moving through the corpses. The only one who didn't seem fazed was Raichlos, but then death was nothing new to the Forsaken priest. Cassie sidled up to Mardruk when he and Chairon had stopped, and she felt the blood drain from her face at what lay before them.

Chairon slipped away, silent as a shadow, leaving the pair by themselves. Had he thought himself capable, he would've struck then, but adding the human woman to the mix would prove far more fun.

He moved up toward the night elf Tyrrandal, and let drop one of the crystal orbs he'd persuaded Aljei to craft for him. It would awaken the ogres that escaped the wholesale slaughter further down, and it would hopefully set up the pretty trap so he could get to Mardruk easily. And with Cassidia there to blame, Chairon felt as if all the pieces had come into play and the endgame was nigh.

The blood elf wasn't aware that inhuman eyes watched him, Tyrrandal's lion Ekatha focused on the sin'dorei's lithe frame. Eyes with the intelligence of its master focused on the small elf, and Ekatha warned Tyrrandal too late. As the kal'dorei hunter lunged for the sin'dorei rogue, Chairon met Tyr's eyes and smiled. Then he let the orb drop.

Tyr stopped short and spun around, watching in horror as the ogres slowly awoke. Nolay pulled Peritali clear of a club, and Raichlos quickly joined them in their retreat. He spun and caught Cassie's gaze. Her eyes widened and all Tyr could do was tell her to run.

Mardruk was faster; instead of retreating back toward the rest of the group, he slung a powerful arm around Cassie's waist and leapt forward, into the path of the oncoming ogres. Despite his bulk, Mardruk was surprisingly graceful, spinning around the ogre's stubby legs and disappearing with Cassie into the underbrush. The ogres were clearly torn between chasing after Mardruk and Cassie and chasing after Tyr and the rest.

Tyrrandal cursed and turned back toward the rogue who was now pinned under three hundred pounds of lion. Ekatha was dangerously close to biting through Chairon's neck, but Tyr's curt order had her moving. The hunter lunged down and grabbed the rogue, dragging him toward the high ground where Nolay and Peritali had set up a defensive position. But the ogres weren't interested in the six that were holding their ground. Serasin stamped her hoof and thrust out her hand; a ray of light caught one of the ogres in the back, flaying him open. His companions didn't even notice. Peritali shook herself.

"What the hell was that?" Raichlos asked.

Tyr shoved Chairon into the middle of the group. "Ask him. Our dear helpful rogue."

Chairon grinned, a look that quickly vanished when Serasin put her sword to his throat. His green eyes turned pleasant, the grin on his face now more of a smile, but even they knew an incapacitated rogue was a dangerous rogue. The sin'dorei shrugged. "Orders are orders."

"You were ordered to kill us?" Raichlos asked.

Chairon shook his blonde head. "Not you. Just Mardruk."

Serasin pressed her blade a little harder into Chairon's throat. "Who hired you?"

"Who do you think? You're all so focused on taking him out that you walked into his trap."

"You're not a very good assassin, then, if your prey got away." Nolay reasoned.

Chairon rolled his eyes. "More than one way to skin a cat."

Tyr's eyes flicked to Serasin. "If Cassie dies, so do you." The kal'dorei said as he knelt before Chairon. "So let's be sure you can't escape before they get back."

A dangerous gleam entered the sin'dorei's green eyes. "You mean, IF they get back."


	13. Chapter 13

Thirteen

Mardruk could feel Cassie's gaze burning holes into his back. He supposed he should be grateful that her eyes weren't on his backside, but he didn't like having her behind him. It wasn't that she was human, (okay, so maybe it was) it was that she was a mage. A powerful one. Mardruk had yet to realize the flame-haired woman had used up her mana to the point of exhaustion and was helpless against him should he decide to turn on her.

Cassie wasn't about to tell Mardruk that.

He didn't trust her, like she didn't trust him. They were fine when they were in the big group – each had their own side to rely on after all. But alone, together, in the forests of Feralas… that was a different story. Were they being looked for? Or were they expected to meet the others at the bridge to Desolace? Mardruk simply kept walking, looking for a trail or the road. He wasn't sure how far off track they'd come since running from the ogres and losing them in the forest.  
"Do you even know where the trail is?" Cassie asked finally, hot and irritated.

Mardruk turned to look at her. "We've come east. If we hit the coast, we'll be able to make it to the trail that'll take us up to the bridge."

Cassie set her hands on her hips. "What if the others are looking for us?"

"They'll head to Desolace. We have to trust that they'll wait for us." Mardruk resumed walking, and after a moment heard Cassie following.

She was muttering. Mardruk ground his teeth. Damn, the woman was annoying! But Mardruk would, of course, be fascinated with her nonetheless. Cassie was unpredictable, sometimes frightening, and Mardruk hadn't the slightest clue about how to deal with her. She was the type to get her own way, the warrior figured. It was something that grated on his nerves.

"Would you just please shut up?" Mardruk snapped, finally turning to face the human woman.

A sneer crept over Cassie's face. "What? Afraid I'll attract monsters? You're no warrior, just a scared little green-skin!"

Mardruk ground his teeth. Counted to ten. Twice. "While using you as monster bait is all well and fun, I'm trying to listen."

"To what?"

"The forest. The wind. Anything. But you're yapping away like a newborn wolf pup. So, shut up."

Cassie glowered at Mardruk. "Admit it. You're lost."

"We're not lost."

"Of course we are! If you weren't so stubbornly prideful, like all of you damn orcs are, we would've gotten back to the trail sooner! I can't wait until you're all eradicated! But that'd be too good for you Fel-possessed sons of whores!"

Mardruk was staring at her. Just staring. Then he suddenly lunged forward, violet eyes sparking with rage. Cassie recoiled; she couldn't scream even if she wanted to. She had no mana, only her staff to defend herself with. She could run, but he'd catch her, and throttling her might be the worst thing he'd do to her.

But just as suddenly as Mardruk had lunged, he stopped. He simply stared, panting, then turned on his heel and strode away.

Cassie stood dumbfounded. Had he just… pulled himself back? Had Mardruk controlled his rage? Or was it a ruse, to lull her into a state of complacency, and he'd get his revenge later? The witch shifted, then hesitantly started after him. What should she say? What could she say? She watched his back, watched those powerful muscles move under that chainmail and plate armour. Her eyes drifted to his hands, clenched in fists, each capable of crushing her skull in their grip. She couldn't see his face, but she figured he was pretty pissed.

Cassie couldn't blame him. Temper was riding her mouth, and she'd just blurted out insult after insult, right into the face of someone who didn't need a weapon to murder her. He'd charged her, almost, then caught himself. He'd forced himself to walk away.

"Mardruk," Cassie started. She flinched as violet fires focused on her. "I…"

"Don't worry about it." Mardruk said. "I've gotten worse."

Cassie blinked. Was he lying to make her feel better? Mardruk ran a hand through his thick black hair. "You don't know the kinds of insults orc children can come up with. Most of it hinged on my mother. She brought me here from Draenor when I was too small to remember. After that, she disappeared. Fel-possessed. Or obsessed."

Cassie swallowed. "What about your father?"

"Never knew him. He's probably just as dead as my mother is." Mardruk started to walk again, gesturing for Cassie to follow. This time, she hurried to catch up, staring up at the orc as she walked.


	14. Chapter 14

Fourteen

Chairon simply watched. Oh, he was certain he could get free of the rope and disappear whenever he wanted, but this was far more interesting. But still, he began to wonder why he hadn't just slipped a knife between Mardruk's ribs and be on his way home by now. He'd wanted the game, true, and he'd led them everywhere Aljei wasn't. By now, the warlock was strong enough to take on Arthas and quite possibly survive. But Aljei was after sweeter prey, the ones who had imprisoned him in the first place. Wherever he was, it wasn't in Feralas or Desolace.

But it still didn't explain why Chairon was making himself jump through hoops for what should be an easy kill. Maybe he was getting soft, more interested in the thrill of the hunt rather than the kill.

Chairon looked up as the kal'dorei moved closer to him. They'd stopped beside the bridge that led into Desolace, in hopes Mardruk and Cassie would come here. Tyrrandal, that was this one's name. The hunter. Chairon smirked at the taller creature, earning a frown in return. They were alone, except for the damned lion, as the other four had headed down toward the waters of the ocean, presumably to look for their missing companions. Chairon figured it was so the kal'dorei could beat the shit out of him and could claim innocence. Like Chairon had beat the shit out of himself, or something.

"Why?" Tyr asked suddenly. "Why did you take the contract?"

"Boredom, mostly."

The kal'dorei crouched before the rogue and fisted a hand in long blonde. "You were bored? So you took a contract from a psychotic warlock to kill someone?"

Chairon shrugged. "If it's that easy to understand, I don't know why you're asking me."

Tyr gave a rather impressive snarl. "Did it ever cross your mana-obsessed little mind that maybe Aljei was hoping you'd get killed in the process?"

"The thought had crossed my mind." Chairon said dryly. "And I'm not mana-obsessed."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. If I was mana-obsessed, I'd have killed half your friends just to sate said obsession. Considering they're all still alive, and the fact I'm a rogue and barely use magic, I think it's safe to say I'm completely addiction free."

Tyr's yellow eyes narrowed. He tugged on Chairon's hair hard enough to make the sin'dorei wince. "Why Mardruk?"

"I don't know. Aljei just said your orc-friend was a thorn in his side." Chairon shrugged. "I'm just here to remove it."

Tyrrandal watched him, saying nothing. He released Chairon's hair and rose, taking a step back from the rogue. Tyr wasn't stupid. He knew Chairon could escape whenever he wanted, so it begged the question of why the rogue wasn't attempting to get away now. Was he waiting to see if Mardruk returned alive so he could finish his task? Or was it something else?

"Aljei isn't in Desolace, is he?" Tyr asked in a low tone. Chairon simply smirked and shrugged.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Do you want to meddle in the affairs of warlocks?"

"He's going to kill people, Chairon, not just those he wants revenge on!"

"So what?" Chairon retorted. "It's not my problem. If you goody-two shoes want to go risk your lives playing hero, be my guest. Your name will be forgotten, your faces, your deeds. You won't become more than a passing memory. I already know what that's like. That's my life, being a shadow, taking on assassination contracts. You think Aljei doesn't know that? I bet you he knows each and every one of you, more intimately than you think."

Tyr's hand cracked across Chairon's face. The sin'dorei swallowed the blood from his bitten tongue and looked up at Tyr. He only grinned, never saying a word.

Tyrrandal glowered down at the bound rogue, then took a step back as he heard Serasin and Raichlos return. Serasin pointed back to the beach to indicate Nolay and Peritali were still there, and then her eyes focused on the rogue. "He was hired by Aljei to kill Mardruk," the draenei said, "but it doesn't look like he succeeded."

"According to Nolay, our wayward friends should be along any moment now." Raichlos said. His nostrils flared at the scent of blood and his lips parted to bare his teeth in a grin. "Did he get feisty?"

"He suggested Aljei's been watching us." Tyr replied. "And Aljei isn't in Desolace."

"So this little bastard's been leading us on a wild goose chase?" Serasin asked. She glowered at Chairon who gave her an innocent but dangerous smile. "Does he know where de warlock is?"

"No, I don't think he does." Raichlos stroked his chin, studying the sin'dorei for a long while. "But we can't trust him all the same. So what do you suggest we do with him? I could eat him."

"That's disgusting." Serasin said. Raichlos shrugged.

"Rogue." Chairon prompted. Serasin cuffed him over the head.

Tyr frowned. "Rogue. They take contracts for gold."

Chairon smirked. "Why don't you hire me to help you fight Aljei? Then you could trust me. Professionally, that is."

Tyr and Serasin exchanged glances. They didn't carry much gold. Enough for lodging if they made it to a town or an outpost, enough for food, but certainly not enough to hire a rogue. Raichlos canted his green-haired head and studied the sin'dorei a bit longer. Nolay and Peritali would have to be consulted, and Mardruk and Cassie when they returned. The priest stepped closer to Chairon, then crouched before him, green eyes forced to meet filmy grey.

"What if the price was your life?" Raichlos asked softly.

Chairon blinked. What?"

"You help us, we let you live. You're outnumbered. I can smell you; the damn lion can smell you. At least three of our group can track you if you try to run, and two don't need physical evidence to chase you down. You could run, true, but we'd find you. Besides that, we can inform you guild of how you failed at your task and then fled like a coward. If we don't get you first, they will."

Chairon's eyes took on a cold gleam. Whether he believed Raichlos or not, he was certainly considering his options. Tyr saw lines form around the sin'dorei's mouth as he tried to figure out a way to be free of this predicament. Raichlos just watched him, not needing to blink or breathe.

"Well?" asked the priest. "What'll it be?"

Chairon's gaze never wavered. He simply smiled and tilted his blonde head. "Fine. You win."

Raichlos rose and looked back at the two Alliance. Tyr shook his head and moved to release the rogue, aware of how tense the smaller creature was. Chairon's gaze swept from Raichlos to the trail where Nolay and Peritali were coming up to their camp. Neither seemed surprised to find the rogue free.

"We wait a little longer." Nolay said. "They'll be here soon."

"And then what?" Serasin asked. "Our little friend here says Aljei isn't where he should be."

"So we look for him." Peritali said. "A powerful warlock like him won't be able to hide so easily."

"Easier said than done."

Peritali shrugged.

But all were thinking the same thing – if they couldn't find Aljei, then what would they do?


	15. Chapter 15

**Fifteen**

_So,_ Aljei thought, _the little rogue has betrayed me._ It really wasn't unexpected. The boy had served his purpose by drawing the group away from him, so Aljei couldn't rightfully say the rogue was useless. Still, it was amusing while the game had lasted. He dispelled the image in the crystal ball and turned to examine himself in the mirror. He was looking more and more like his old self every day. Of his targets, he discovered a few had died by old age or by sickness. While it was disappointing, it shortened his list considerably. He'd finally managed to locate one survivor, and the fear on her face had been exquisite. Her lonely tower wasn't Aljei's taste, but for practicality, he kept it the way it was. Although, the corpse of the warlock he'd taken this tower from was a nice touch, in his opinion.

Aljei straightened his robes and smoothed his long hair. He'd found another target, one who had been closer to the leader that had wronged him. This one had connections, connections to powerful families. Aljei would have to be careful, but then, the Plaguelands were a dangerous place.

A few more tasks, and then he could seek out what he really wanted. He supposed he'd have to thank Chairon for that discovery, but it would be better if the rogue, and that group, were just gone. Aljei pondered that option for a while, then decided against it.

After all, the villain needed heroes to try and stop him.

Mardruk pulled Cassie up after him and carefully led the way over the rocks made slippery by the waterfall's spray. They were almost to the ocean; Mardruk could smell it. They'd managed to survive the night, though Mardruk had slept awfully light. They hadn't spoken since Mardruk's little confession yesterday, but the warrior could tell the mage wanted to talk. They just had to get over these rocks before they died.

Mardruk pulled himself up onto moist but stable land and turned to pull Cassie up with him. As she brushed dirt off her skirt, Mardruk looked around them. He had to keep heading east, toward the ocean.

"Are we on the trail?" Cassie asked.

Mardruk gave a half-hearted shrug. "A trail, maybe not THE trail. We'll just keep heading east."

"Right." Cassie fell silent as she made to follow Mardruk. She walked quietly before she came to his side. "Why do you want Aljei so badly? Besides the obvious, I mean."

Mardruk's jaw worked. "He murdered someone important to me. Well, that's not true. The circumstances of his release murdered someone important to me."

"Who was it?"

Mardruk paused. "My teacher. The only father I've ever known. Aljei needs to be put back into that cairn, no matter what it takes. Even if I have to do it myself."

Cassie slowly returned her gaze to the trail before her. Noble sacrifices. Hadn't she learned that the day she started her apprenticeship?

"You never wanted our help, did you?" she asked finally, looking back at the orc warrior.

"I didn't want to get more people killed."

Cassie gave a slight sound. "Well, we're all pretty strong. We'll make it through."

Mardruk's violet eyes focused on her for a moment, then looked away. "Sure we will. After a number of people are dead. Besides, we're not sure where Aljei is, or how to even defeat him. You can kill a warlock the same way anything else can be killed, yes, but they couldn't kill Aljei. They could only seal him away."

"Maybe instead of looking for Aljei, maybe we should look who he'll go after. If we got to his target first, we can protect them, as well as have help to seal him up again."

Mardruk nodded slightly. "But we still have a problem."

Cassie hissed out a breath through her teeth. "Finding them."

"We could probably use Chairon's contacts." Mardruk reasoned, "Or maybe the warlock's guild. Failing that, we can ask Nolay or Peritali to consult the spirits."

"We have to find Nolay and Peritali first."

Mardruk grunted and paused. Cassie could hear the ocean now, a faint crashing of the surf against the beach. She almost took a step forward, but Mardruk stopped her, his arm outstretched to keep her from going anywhere.

"What is it?" Cassie asked.

Mardruk didn't reply, not right away. He retreated a step, forcing Cassie to do the same. Cassie almost yelled at the orc for retreating when they should be advancing, but then she saw the yeti rising from the brush cover, its teeth stained red with the blood of a fresh kill.

"Mardruk." Cassie gasped out. "What now?"

Mardruk drew his broadsword. "Run." He ordered, continuing to back up as the yeti advanced. Cassie had no choice but to retreat as well, though she knew full well Mardruk was going to act as a living shield for her. That fact alone made her more angry than afraid.

The yeti lunged toward Mardruk, howling in animalistic fury. Mardruk stepped forward with his right foot and swung his blade, shearing through the yeti's outstretched arm. The beast howled, and Mardruk pivoted, following his sword's backswing and taking off that howling head. Only too late did he notice the second yeti and only Cassidia's fireball kept him from becoming the yeti's next meal.

"They're everywhere!" Cassie yelled.

Mardruk retreated toward her, cutting off limbs if they got too close. He quickly swung around Cassie, shielding her with his body as yeti claws came down toward her. The beast's claws tore through plate, chainmail and flesh, but Mardruk didn't notice. He stabbed forward with his sword and gutted the beast, one arm around the human woman as he spun. Then he took off at a flat run with Cassie held securely against him. Mardruk heard the yeti hunting cries as he crashed through the brush, his back flaring in pain. They would smell his scent, his blood, as he ran, and they would follow until they caught him and feasted on his flesh.

Cassie clung to him and closed her eyes tight, unable to believe they were actually going to die. She could hear their pursuit as well as Mardruk did, their roars giving her shivers. They had to hide somewhere, but nowhere was safe because those beasts would find them.

Mardruk slid to a stop beside a river, panting harshly. Cassie opened her eyes, hearing the victory howls as the yeti closed in behind them. "The waterfall!" Cassie yelled, pointing to the source of the river. "Get behind the waterfall!"

Mardruk didn't bother to acknowledge her words. He simply moved, bolting down the riverbank toward the roaring falls. They drowned out all other sound, the roaring water frigid as it passed over Cassie and Mardruk. The orc tumbled into the cave behind the falls, shielding Cassie with his body so he would take the brunt of the abuse. Despite the tumble roll, Cassie still ended up on his chest, slightly rumpled, but otherwise unharmed.

She gingerly lifted herself up off Mardruk's heaving chest and knelt him, watching his face.

Mardruk opened glassy violet eyes, reached up with one large hand, and forced Cassie's head down into a hard but short kiss. Before Cassie could even think to pull away, Mardruk passed out. The woman stared helplessly at the unconscious orc and wondered what she was supposed to do now.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sixteen**

Tyrrandal found Chairon sitting on the edge of the bridge, staring down into the rushing waters of the river. It would flow into the ocean, fresh water mingling with saltwater. The rogue looked like he was contemplating jumping; instead he canted his head up to look at the kal'dorei.

"You know; the longer you wait for your friends, the greater a chance there is that Aljei gets away." Chairon said.

Tyr smiled, but it wasn't kind. "You think so? But then, you are a coward, aren't you? You don't want to face Mardruk if he's alive."

"Call me what you want, but it doesn't change anything."

Tyr frowned. Chairon just watched him. Finally, the blonde smirked. "What? Never been around a rogue before?"

"I've been around plenty of rogues." Tyr said defensively.

"Just none like me, hm? Well, don't be afraid. I don't bite much."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "It's not your bite I'm afraid of. It's those little knives of yours. I just want to make sure they don't end up in my back."

"Aw, now why would I go and do a thing like that after you lot went through the trouble of sparing my life?" Chairon asked sweetly. "What's really got your panties in a bunch, Tyrrandal?"

The kal'dorei's frown increased. Chairon smiled wider. "You want to know why I chose to be a rogue and not something else. Well, that's simple. I didn't have a choice."

"What? Were you born into a family of rogues."

"No. I was cast aside an hour after my birth for the dogs to feed on. I was found by a rogue, raised by a rogue, and so I am a rogue. The dynamics of it are really quite simple."

Tyr's face went blank. "You were abandoned?"

"Like garbage." Chairon confirmed. "Don't make that face. I don't need pity, especially from a night elf."

"I don't pity you. You were bound to be an asshole whether your mother kept you or not."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence." Chairon rose from his perch and stretched. "I'll take it to heart, Tyr."

"Chai, you don't have to stay with the guild, you know." What was he saying? Tyr wondered. Even Chairon was looking at him funny.

"And do what?" Chairon asked. "What, would you give me a better life? Skulking the forest and tracking animals? Or would we wander the known world, seeking adventure and idiots who take on bosses twice their strength?"

Tyr frowned. "I don't know. Maybe."

"I'll tell you this now, kal'dorei. I don't do one-night stands and I don't play the whore for anyone. You think you have feelings for me, but you don't. You see a helpless, trapped victim and you just want to save me."

Chairon had gotten close to Tyr, almost in his face. Tyr reacted on instinct to the danger Chairon represented – he recoiled at the same time he threw a swift left hook. The rogue dodged the strike easily, putting space between the two of them once more. An odd smile played on the blood elf's lips. Tyr gave an odd snarling sound and turned on his heel, stalking away from Chairon.

Because if he didn't, he was afraid he was going to kill the rogue. And right now, the group still needed him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Seventeen**

_"What's the first rule about battle?" Goran asked a ten-year-old Mardruk. The boy's face scrunched as he tried to come up with an answer._

_Mardruk stood in the shadows, watching this memory. Or maybe it wasn't a memory, but real, and he really wasn't witnessing this again. He shivered, feeling hot and feverish. Maybe he was dying. Old warriors said that when your time comes all your memories flash before you eyes. Mardruk didn't want to die, not while Aljei was running around Azeroth, murdering people._

_As if the thought summoned the man, Aljei appeared in the place of the child-Mardruk and Goran. Mardruk stared, waiting for the warlock to attack, but the sin'dorei didn't move. It simply WAS a memory then, conjured up by Mardruk's imagination. Why couldn't his imagination tell him where Aljei was? Why couldn't it be useful before he died?_

_Mardruk blinked as his imagination-Aljei lifted a hand and pointed to his chest. Mardruk stared. He really couldn't do anything more, just stand like a deer and wait to die. But the imagination-Aljei didn't strike. He just pointed. What did it mean? Mardruk frowned as he tried to connect the pieces. They wouldn't fit in his mind, like he was trying to shove pieces of one puzzle into the cardboard map of another._

_"What is the first rule of battle?" Goran asked again._

_Mardruk answered, "Know thine enemy as you know thine self."_

_The orc jerked. Know my enemy. Like I know myself. It was something Goran had drilled into him from day one. Aljei was just like every other enemy Mardruk had faced when you got down to the basic. They were connected, and Mardruk only had to focus on the connection to discover the bastard warlock's location. But how could he do that? A shaman would ask fire to help, a mage a scrying bowl. Mardruk was neither of these things._

_But he knew two people who were._

Mardruk's eyes snapped open and he focused on Cassie's face. She was hovering over him, her green eyes wide. She was holding a strip of damp cloth, torn from her dress. Mardruk's gaze slid down and decided the human woman had very nice legs.

"Mardruk?" Cassie asked quietly, as though she was unsure of his sanity.

Mardruk swallowed. "I can find him. I need Peritali. Or a scrying bowl."

Cassie blinked. "Well, I'm fresh out of scrying bowls, so if you want Peritali we have to get moving."

Mardruk nodded and gave a grunt as he struggled upright. The first thing he noticed was the pain. It was centered in his back, thin dagger-like pulses that pinched and pulled his skin. The second thing he noticed was the bandages. A glance proved his theory right – Cassie had sacrificed the skirts of her dress to patch him up. He couldn't remember when she had done that, nor could Mardruk remember passing out.

"I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" Mardruk asked slowly.

Cassie tried to hide her blush. "No. Passed right out. You were lucky. A few more inches over and deeper and you'd have been yeti chow."

Mardruk frowned. "What'd I do?"

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh."

Mardruk struggled to his feet and reached for his armour, pulling it on as gingerly as he could. He'd finally have to get new armour, it seemed. Cassie didn't watch him, her cheeks still coloured rose. Whatever he'd done, she didn't seem angry about it. But she wasn't going to tell hi what he'd done either. So he couldn't fix it, but he couldn't improve it either. If he even wanted to improve it. Did he want to? Cassie was beautiful, strong-willed and quite opinionated. She could most definitely hold her own against orc women if Mardruk ever made it back to Durotar. But would she want-?

Cassie snapped her fingers in front of the warrior's eyes. "We were leaving, remember?"

Mardruk blinked. "Right. Let's go."

Cassie eyed him oddly, but led the way out of the waterfall cave. She didn't protest when Mardruk bundled her in his torn cloak, but Cassie wasn't about to let him baby her.

Besides, the mage decided, next time _she_ would initiate the kiss.

If there was a next time.

The ocean lazily lapped at the beach ahead of them, complete with the water elementals and the sea giants. Between the two of them, they could easily dominate the elementals, but Mardruk and Cassie were in agreement to avoid the giants. Being squashed wasn't high on their To-Do list after all.

As they drew nearer to the dock set at the foot of the hill, Mardruk could see the smoke of a campfire. Then he could see Nolay, rising up high on her bear legs, seeing with her bear eyes. The transformation back to her Tauren body was swift, her eyes alight with joy as she turned and shouted something to a figure walking up the hill.

Almost immediately the figure turned, the kal'dorei's yellow eyes wide as he saw Mardruk and Cassie taking their time in coming up the beach. Tyr launched down the hill and as soon as Cassie got close he picked her up in a fierce hug. Mardruk gave a wry grin to Peritali.

"I hope there wasn't much trouble while I was gone?" he asked the druid.

"None more so than usual," Nolay answered. "We learned, though, that Chairon was hired by Aljei to kill you."

Cassie's head whipped toward the druid, something dangerous in her eyes flashing once, then quickly hidden.

Mardruk grunted. "Where is he now?"

"Up there. With everyone else. We waited for you."

Tyr set Cassie on her feet. "He'll probably expect you to maim him or something." Said the night elf. "He's been behaving, but he sits apart from the rest of us."

"Well, wouldn't you?" Mardruk asked. "You're a rogue, hired to do a job for your guild. Not only do you fail, but also you're now compromised. I don't know how Silvermoon deals with compromised agents, but in Orgrimmar they're disposed of."

Tyr blinked. "Why?"

"You're useless. You're a failure. How can a guild trust you to complete another assignment?" Mardruk shrugged. "You look at me like I'm cruel. Whether you see it or not, we're in a war. By the standards of that war, we shouldn't even be friends."

Cassie frowned. "While that's true, it doesn't explain why Chairon is still here."

Mardruk shook his head. "Of course it does. To any spy, he's being with us proves he's doing his job. If he weren't with us, and I was alive, there'd be nowhere in the known worlds where he'd be safe." The warrior turned to Nolay. "I need Peritali."

"What for?" Asked Nolay.

"I need her shaman skills. I know how we can find Aljei. I just need her help."

Nolay nodded. "I'll go get her."

As the druid turned to trudge up the hill, Mardruk turned to look at Tyr and Cassie. "Don't judge Chairon because of the job he was hired to do. We've all done jobs that others don't agree with."

Cassie looked about to say something, then thought better of it. Instead she pulled away from Tyr and announced, "I'm going to find Serasin. I want a bath and fresh clothes."

The two males watched her trudge up the hill as Nolay and Peritali came down, the troll looking about to break into dance that Mardruk and Cassie were still alive. As Mardruk told Peritali what he wanted, Tyr looked at Nolay and found her studying him.

"What?" he asked almost defensively.

Nolay smiled. "Both of you act tough and disinterested, but maybe you're each waiting for the other to make the first move. You've more in common than you think. Take some initiative, hunter." She walked away then, following Mardruk and Peritali to the campfire. Tyr stared after her, speechless and dumbfounded.

What did Nolay mean by that?


	18. Chapter 18

**Eighteen**

Aljei hummed a strange tune as he plucked nerve endings, watching their connected body parts twitch. This hunt had been more exciting than the last, and he'd gotten the satisfaction of pure fear out of this one than he had the man's underlings. This man had actually pissed himself! Those fancy silk robes were ruined by the urine, and Aljei thought that it was poetic justice indeed. He'd begged for it, this powerful warlock once known as Master Isthmis. Isthmis, the creator of the locking mechanism that had kept Aljei trapped beneath those stones for centuries.

How Isthmis had screamed, the high elf shrieking to high heaven to be spared. So Aljei had spared him, allowing to pick which of his students died in his place. Their fear had been exquisite, but it was overridden by anger that their master would sacrifice them to save his own skin. It hadn't been what Aljei wanted, but in the end, he was satisfied.

So now he had locations for the last four mages and warlocks, thanks to dear helpful, sniveling, cowardly Isthmis.

Aljei's gaze flicked up from the body he was puppeteering and a grin split across his face, manic and insane. So. The little rogue failed. No matter. Aljei hadn't been expecting Chairon to succeed. While the boy was a master of assassinations, he was kind-hearted, and meeting that group would deter him from his assigned task. Aljei wondered if the rogue had a contingency, or if he would just grin and bear his fate with his head held high.

But that didn't matter right now. No, what mattered was that Mardruk had figured out how to locate him. That was problematic, were they able to get ahead of him.

He let that idea grow and fester for a while. He could give them a name, allow them to seek out that target, presumably to protect him or her. In the meantime, he would kill the other three and savour those kills before he took the time to finish the game. By then, it wouldn't matter if Mardruk was alive or dead – Aljei would have gotten what he wanted, had fun while he did it, and be content to give the majority of his attention to another budding project.

-Yes,- Aljei decided, -that's exactly what I'll do.- He let the body drop and moved toward Isthmis' desk, where the names and locations of his last targets rested. He studied them, knowing Mardruk was studying them, too. All he had to do was choose one name, and the foolish boy would be off like a dog chasing a meaty soup bone.

Four choices. Four names. The group was in or around Desolace. The closet target was Kamarth, who resided close to the Stonetalon Mountains. If he sent them there, he could kill Maris in Westfall and then Apressa in Redridge before Nigrade in Kalimdor before the children realized they'd been misled.

But Nigrade, old orc fool, would prove the most fun further toward the end of the game.

Aljei picked up the sheaf of paper listing Nigrade's residence. He felt Mardruk withdraw, and couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up inside him. Just a few more weeks, a few more deaths, and Aljei would be happy.

"And who knows?" he told himself. "Maybe I'll let Mardruk and his friends live."

Laughing, Aljei gathered up the other papers and cast a glance a the body of Isthmis. A wicked grin split the high elf's face and he lifted a hand, pointing a finger at the corpse. At his command a demon came forth, blazing with the rage of fire.

"Make sure it burns for a while, lovely," Aljei called over his shoulder, gently closing the front door behind him.

As he walked away from the isolated mansion, Aljei couldn't help but laugh as he felt the heat of flames at his back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Nineteen**

Mardruk came back to his body almost abruptly. Peritali was watching him, no doubt curious to find out if he was whole and his sanity was intact. He gave her a weak smile.

"I know where he's going." Mardruk told the gathered group. He stood up from the sand and brushed the grains off his pants. "Aljei is going after someone named Nigrade in Kalimdor."

No one showed reaction to the name. Except for Chairon. His lips turned down in a brief frown before a mask of calmness took over his pretty features. Mardruk focused on him. "You know where he is, don't you, Chai?"

With the gazes of his unwanted comrades focused on him, Chairon shrugged. "Maybe."

"You either do or you don't." Raichlos muttered. "There is no 'maybe'."

Chairon's green eyes flickered. "I've delivered messages for him before. He's a hermit who lives deep in the forests of Ashenvale."

"A warlock who's a hermit?" Cassie asked. "Isn't that a bit… odd?"

"If you sealed someone as powerful as Aljei into a crypt, knowing he was immortal until a few years ago, wouldn't you go into hiding?" Chairon retorted.

Mardruk made a grunting noise. "Whatever his choices, he's the one Aljei is going after next. We have to get there first."

"And how do you suggest that?" Raichlos interjected. "What, we split into Horde and Alliance and take bats and hippogryphs to Ratchet?"

The Forsaken priest gave a groan when he realized the group was actually considering that option. "Insane," he groused, "All of you are fucking nuts."

"It's a good idea." Serasin said. "Aljei has a great lead on us. He may be in Kalimdor already. If we are to prevent him from killing dis old one, then we must do all we can to get there first."

"Besides that," added Nolay, "we could learn if either side has more information on strange happenings."

"Whatever we choose, we have to get to Ashenvale fast." Mardruk said. "We can wait around and hope we'll make it on time if we take a land route from here to the north."

"So we're in agreement then?" Cassie asked, meeting the gazes of the seven others around her. One by one they nodded, all looking grim and determined. "Then we'll meet at Ratchet. Go as fast as you can. It's cliché, but we're the only ones who can stop Aljei."

Mardruk studied Chairon as the rogue padded alongside Raichlos, silent as the five made their way to Camp Mojache. They'd parted ways with the three Alliance at the dock, their destination Ratchet on the coast. The rogue didn't look at him or anyone else in the group, as though he were brooding. Mardruk kept his broadsword unbuckled in its sheath, just in case Chairon had a sudden change of heart.

But Chairon didn't look back at him. He stared ahead, as though he was embracing his fate. Only once did Chairon glance at Mardruk, those green eyes focused on his face with an odd frown playing on his lips. While it didn't unnerve Mardruk, it certainly made him curious.

"Why?" Mardruk asked finally, the pair awaiting their own bats to take them to Ratchet.

Chairon glanced at the larger orc. "Why what?"

"Why take the contract if you couldn't fulfill it?"

Chairon shrugged. "Who's to say I won't?"

"You'd have done it by now."

Chairon shifted. "What do you want me do say, Mardruk? That this noble cause changed me? Showed me the error of my ways? You lot aren't fun. You aren't fun. I enjoy the hunt, not the kill."

"How will you explain this to your guild?"

"Oh. Them." Chairon shrugged. "I liked the tale you spun to Tyrrandal. I think he and Cassie actually believed you. No, they'll forgive me, especially since the pay was more than required and still in their coffers. Besides, my acting weak will bring out the traitors to the guild. Webs within webs my friend."

"You're bait." Mardruk reasoned.

"Mhm. Cute, very sexy bait too. But just to be clear, I won't go out of my way to save you. A contract's a contract. Your friends gave me my life for sparing yours, so I won't raise a hand against you, but if you gamble your life and lose, I won't help you."

Mardruk watched the sin'dorei's small back as the elf climbed onto his bat. Heaving a breath Mardruk decided having an honest rogue in the party was better than a dishonest one. But the dishonest one would at least give you the courtesy of knifing you face-to-face.

It was raining in Ratchet when the group arrived. Despite the general sense of urgency, it was collectively decided by the women (all four of them) that it would be foolish to continue without fresh supplies and proper raiments.

Mardruk wasn't surprised when Cassie blew into his room, her red hair piled on her head and pinned with two silver sticks, her body covered in dark leather and cloth. She wore no dress now, but a tunic and breeches, something more suitable for travel than her mage's weeds. She was beautiful and arousing, and that was what put Mardruk on edge.

"Your armour is ready," Cassie said, a haughty tone to her voice. "Just for future reference, I'm a mage, not a messenger."

"Duly noted." Mardruk replied, rising from the chair he'd been occupying as he sharpened his sword. "I'll be down in a minute to get it."

Cassie eyed him for a long while. "What drives you?"

Mardruk looked at her. "I told you. Revenge. Duty. My own sense of justice."

"But you could've taken off without us. You arrived in Ratchet before us. You could've left."

"I could've. But it would've been foolish." Mardruk frowned. "What are you getting at, woman?"

"What drives you to be the way you are?"

Mardruk frowned. He slowly moved toward her and drew her further into the room. He closed the door behind her, then moved her to sit in the chair he'd vacated. When he was sure she'd stay put, Mardruk backed away a few paces and watched her. "What did I do in that cave, Cassie?"

The woman's cheeks flushed. "You kissed me. It wasn't a real kiss – you were feverish, hurt." She blurted, as though he'd hurt her. Mardruk crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was raised by a veteran of the original Horde. The Fel-possessed orcs." Mardruk began. "Goran was the kind of warrior who would've been content to write poetry instead of teaching whelplings how to kill. How I am, I learned to be that from him, to mix honour and compassion and duty. I'm sorry for kissing you. If you're afraid-"

"Afraid?!" Cassie blurted, jumping out of her chair. She pointed at Mardruk, her eyes blazing with fury. "No man has EVER been so forward with me! Gods damn you, you orc son of a whore! If I hadn't liked it then you NEVER would have woken up!"

Mardruk blinked. "You liked it?"

Cassie blinked. Blushed a fierce red. She held her head up, proud. "What? A human woman not good enough for you?"

Mardruk tried not to laugh. Cassie would probably castrate him if he did. "Considering I've never looked at a woman with any sort of desire, my education in that area is severely lacking."

Cassie's mouth worked. "Oh."

"Still," Mardruk continued, "if you think I'm not good enough, I can leave."

A feminine growl escaped Cassie. Since he wasn't expecting it, Mardruk had little time to react to the woman's lunge. He managed to dodge the first time, but the second time knocked him flat on his back with her atop him.

"We've been wandering this miserable land for months," Cassie snarled, "and getting closer as we went. Then you had to go and KISS me in that fucking cave, had to save my LIFE, and you think you're not GOOD ENOUGH?!"

Mardruk stared at her like a rabbit caught by a prowling wolf. "I would never presume to know such things about myself without your approval first."

Cassie's lips curled up in a snarl. "That's what I thought." She dove down to kiss him, wary of his tusks.

Considering he hadn't really been coherent at the time of their first kiss, Mardruk found this one rather enjoyable. Cassie's lips were soft and demanding, forcing him to remain compliant and yet encouraging him to participate. Mardruk slid his hands up Cassie's shoulders and pulled the silver sticks out of her hair, letting the red mass fall free. His fingers curled in the silky strands, then he pulled, forcing Cassie's head back so he could kiss her throat.

She snarled at him. He snarled back; Mardruk's free hand slid down Cassie's neck and cupped one breast through her shirt. He marveled at its mushiness, and earned a gasp every time he squeezed it. He let go of her hair and sat up, his hands busily working to get her tunic off. His mouth played at her neck, his tongue teasing at her fluttering pulse. Cassie squirmed over him, half-naked and wanting more. Mardruk felt himself stirring, felt desire course through his blood in a way that wasn't unlike battle lust. He wanted Cassie, and she had no choice in the matter.

Her nails scraped over his scalp as he closed his mouth around her right nipple, one hand supporting her back as the other teased her left breast. Cassie was writhing, panting, but not screaming. Mardruk somehow managed to get to his feet at some point and settled them on the bed in his room, Cassie kicking to get her pants off with his help.

He stared at the human, not unlike a lion sizing up an elk. Cassie blushed as those violet eyes roamed her body from her face to her toes. Then Mardruk leaned forward and kissed at her navel, allowing Cassie to get a hold of that linen shirt he wore and pull it off.

Her hands ran over powerful, scarred shoulders, a soft breath escaping her each time Mardruk made her squirm. Then Mardruk came up and looked into her eyes.

"Do you have something to prevent…?" he asked softly, not finishing for Cassie had reached up to kiss him.

"A potion. I've been drinking it every day since I was old enough." Cassie shrugged. "Besides, what're you going to do? Marry me?"

Mardruk blinked. Cassie's hands quickly busied themselves with his belt, pulling his breeches open. Her hand delved within and Mardruk saw her eyes widen as she touched him. He shivered as her fingers curled around his cock and drew him out. Mardruk thought Cassie looked a little green.

"So," Mardruk began as he tried not to moan as her fingers explored his length, "does this mean I'll have to call you Jaina?"

The look Cassie gave him was so venomous Mardruk should've dropped dead right there. But as she drew herself up to yell, Mardruk nudged his hand between her legs and stroked the woman's wet folds. Suddenly, killing him was far from Cassie's mind. She arched her hips, feeling Mardruk's thick fingers slide across her labia and clit, sending spikes of pleasure up her spine that settled in her brain. She fisted him, stroking the hard shaft with her thumb as she watched Mardruk's violet eyes fill with want and sheer need.

Mardruk's index finger slid into Cassie's soft passage, coating the digit in her readiness. She arched and had to bite into her own hand to stifle her cry as he crooked his finger and ran it against the soft walls inside her. The fact that his cock was abandoned in favour of clutching the sheets didn't bother him. Instead, Mardruk was too focused on seeing Cassie writhe beneath him, her hips gyrating to get his digit deeper inside of her.

Then Cassie's hands shot up toward his face, one hand tangling in Mardruk's black hair and the other grabbing onto a tusk to pull his face closer to hers. "Would you get ON with it!" Cassie hissed, her chest heaving for breath.

Mardruk twitched her finger with a smile. "As you wish." He pulled his finger from Cassie's body, rubbing his thumb and index fingers together on purpose to accentuate the viscous coating. Cassie turned red; Mardruk wasn't sure if it was anger or arousal. It was that fluid he smeared on his own arching flesh, his lover's fluid mixing with his own to provide a little lubricant. There was no denying he'd hurt her, so he hoped his ministrations were enough.

He heard Cassie growl and suddenly Mardruk found himself on his back with the woman above him, her eyes ablaze with desire.

"Cassie-"

"Shut up." Cassie growled, rising up to get what she wanted in her hands. Then she steadied herself, and pushed her hips down. Mardruk's hands went to her hips, groaning as he felt wet heat envelop him. There was resistance at first, then Mardruk bucked up a little and his cock disappeared inside Cassie.

The mage gasped as she was filled, her eyes closed as she felt Mardruk settle in her belly. She forced him to stay still, and he complied, too busy marveling the feel of Cassie around him.

She opened her eyes and met Mardruk's violet gaze. Cassie swallowed, seeing emotion there in those orbs she hadn't expected. He held onto her so gently, thumbs stroking her hips as he waited for her.

Cassie wasn't a virgin. Her experiences with sex had been unpleasant enough for her to swear off for a while. But Mardruk… the orc was just so naïve about it. No man had ever waited for her. But Mardruk was content to rest beneath her, content to wait for her. She'd seen the emotion in his eyes when they'd run from the yeti. Mardruk loved her.

Cassie lifted her hips and began the rhythm. She voiced her pleasure, feeling Mardruk each time she went up and down. He was panting, stroking her breasts, her clit, anything he could reach. Cassie could feel herself growing tighter around him, just as she could see Mardruk was close to orgasm. His eyes betrayed everything to her, like a lover's gaze. He surged upwards, capturing her in a hug and a fierce kiss as she came, and Cassie moaned as she felt Mardruk's cock pulse inside of her, filling her.

She rested her head against Mardruk's powerful shoulder, felt him shivering and heaving for breath. Cassie was doing much the same, quivering against the orc.

Mardruk settled back on the bed and Cassie slid off of him, settling beside him. Cassie felt Mardruk's arm come around her and she shivered.

She only wished she could tell him she loved him, too.


	20. Chapter 20

**Twenty**

The day after the rains stopped, the group set out for Ashenvale. They walked, unable to afford mounts. For this, the group was subjected to Raichlos' complaining which didn't stop even when Serasin threatened to punch his jaw off. The dark forests of the night elves were a wonderful reprieve after the heat of the plains. Tyrrandal relaxed a little more now that he was in a territory considered kal'dorei, even if Warsong still plagued the trees.

Chairon was often in the lead, the spry sin'dorei hurrying along the path invisible to all but Ekatha. Sometimes he would run the path along the bushes, pausing here and there as he watched and waited.

Tyr knew their odd group had been seen. The Silverwings ruled this place, and Tyr very much doubted they'd be able to get Nigrade without any trouble. He drew up alongside the rogue as the party continued past, staring out in the same direction Chairon was.

"What do you see?" the hunter asked, unable to see more but bushes and trees.

Chairon's shoulders gave a little jump. "Kal'dorei. They've been following us for a while. Unsure, maybe." Chairon shrugged again and turned to catch up with the group. Tyr followed.

"Will they attack?" Chairon asked Tyr.

"Doubtful." Tyr answered honestly. "We have a big group, even though it's a mix. And we Alliance are outnumbered by two. But it's not like we're going against our will, or we're in chains. They may just keep watching."

Chairon gave an absent nod, his green eyes focused elsewhere. Tyr watched the smaller elf for a while. He hadn't learned much about Chairon while they'd been cooped up in Ratchet's inn, waiting out the rain. He knew no more than he did from Chairon's own mouth and Mardruk's. There was just something about the sin'dorei though, something that was beginning to attract Tyr to him. Maybe it was the danger.

Tyrrandal had been named for Lady Tyrande, the Queen of Darnassus. His parents had hoped such a name would make him a powerful priest. Except Tyr hadn't gone toward priesthood. He'd become a hunter, much to his mother's disappointment. His father had refused to speak with him for years. Tyr chose adventure as a permanent form of exile, and had met up with Cassie and Serasin on a dungeon run. He hadn't been back to his parents' home since.

He didn't know how Chairon felt, growing up as an orphan under the tutelage of assassins. The sin'dorei gazed upon the world like it was a game, one he would fail and need to play again until he got it right.

"Chairon," Mardruk called, "how much farther?"

"Not far." Answered the little rogue. He pointed up the road. "We'll turn off before we reach the road that leads to Azshara."

Tyr studied the blonde elf for a long while. He could feel eyes on them all, watching, waiting. Chairon led them into the wilds just before the road he'd indicated and took the lead, stepping easily over grass and logs. No one spoke in a tone louder than a whisper. All could feel the growing danger, so acute were they to the sensation.

Chairon shifted and paused, his green eyes glancing here and there as if expecting a trap. Mardruk moved closer to the elf, his hand on his broadsword's hilt. "What is it?" Mardruk asked.

Chairon shrugged. "There are a few kal'dorei hiding around here. They've been watching us since we crossed the border."

"So what's the problem?" Raichlos asked. "It seems easy enough to avoid them."

"Of course it is." Chairon answered with a clipped tone. "They won't attack, not knowing why three of their faction are traveling with five Horde. Plus with all the shit Aljei's done, there's no doubt in my mind they think Horde were behind it. And they don't know about Nigrade."

Mardruk stared at Chairon for a while. "What do you mean, they don't know?"

"He's hiding. Why would you hide among your own people?" Chairon shrugged. "I'm sure he has protection, but I doubt he'd appreciate an army of night elves coming down on his doorstep."

Tyr frowned. "There's not even the slightest chance he'd talk to us if we did that."

Chairon canted his head toward Tyr and set his hands on his hips. Serasin turned to face Tyrrandal. "Can you talk to them?" she asked.

Tyr shrugged. "I can give it a shot. The only problem is that their hate runs real deep."

"They'll just have to suck it up." Raichlos snapped. Tyr winced at the almost vehement agreement.

"Alright, enough." Tyr rubbed his chin, then looked toward Chairon. "Care to come with me?"

Chairon eyed him for a moment, then shrugged as though to say 'why not?'. Tyr looked to Mardruk. "Just stay here. We'll be back soon."

Mardruk gave a slight nod. "Be careful."

Tyr nodded and looked to Chairon, gesturing gently. Chairon gave him a lazy smile and followed the kal'dorei into the concealing trees surrounding the group. The pair didn't have to wait long, several female forms melting out of the shadowed dark, arrows of the finest steel aimed at Chairon. The small sin'dorei didn't move anything more than an elegant eyebrow. Tyr held out his hands, palms up, as a sign of peace. One kal'dorei female stepped forward, keeping a respectable distance from hunter, rogue, and pet. She kept her hand on her sword's hilt, her golden eyes focused more on Chairon than Tyr.

"Why do you travel with our enemies?" the woman asked in Darnassian. Tyr flicked a glance to Chairon, whose face remained blank and impassive. Tyr wasn't sure if Chairon understood or not.

But he replied in Darnassian, "We travel together to learn about each other. Hatreds don't run so deep with the Horde."

The woman's lip curled. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"

"Look, we don't have a quarrel with you." Tyr said quickly. "We went past Warsong and we haven't even gotten close to your outpost or any holding of the Alliance. We want to pass in peace."

The woman didn't reply right away. "Do you think they trust you, hunter? Look at the one beside you. He'd sooner stab you in the ribs than speak your name as a friend. And the others – a troll, a Tauren, an orc, and a Forsaken. They'll kill you as soon as you become useless!"

"Your hatred blinds you," Chairon whispered, perfect Darnassian rolling off his tongue. "We came through in peace, in the open of all eyes, in the guise of friends. But you, all of you are blinded by hate that you can't begin to comprehend that friends can form in the unlikeliest of places. Believe me, huntress, if I wanted him dead, you couldn't stop me. But we have more pressing things to deal with than petty arguments."

Tyr stared at Chairon in amazement. Just for the stricken look on the kal'dorei female's faces, Tyr could've kissed Chairon. The sin'dorei continued, "Follow us if you dare, but realize we will defend each other from you. Alliance will fight Alliance, Horde will fight Horde. Leave now, and we won't have to call the needless deaths an accident of tragic origin."

Tyr swallowed and hoped no one noticed. Chairon was standing in a relaxed stance, his hands placed within easy reach of his knives if not his twin swords. He could kill everyone here before their bows released their deadly arrows. Thankfully Tyr wasn't the one who recognized the danger. A younger night elf slipped up to her commander's side and whispered in her ear. With a glare of golden eyes, the woman finally nodded.

"Very well. But Astranaar and Darnassus will hear of this." She told Tyr, pointedly not looking at the sin'dorei.

As the Silverwings disappeared into their forest, Tyr turned to Chairon. "How do you know how to speak Darnassian?"

Chairon blinked. "I learned. Same way with Common, Orcish, and Gutterspeak. Murloc too. Why? Upset some blood elf knows your tongue?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed briefly. Then his hand shot out and grabbed hold of Chairon's blonde hair, tugging the smaller creature's head back. Their eyes met, held, and then Tyr pressed his mouth to Chairon's, forcing the smaller body against his own.

Their tongues met, a clash of wet muscle and teeth. Then the sin'dorei pushed himself away, panting. Tyr took a step forward, only to find a knife aimed at his heart. "I told you, I don't do one night stands," Chairon snarled, wiping his lips with the back of his fist.

Tyr advanced. "Who said anything about one night?"

Chairon's green eyes grew large. He fled back to the group with Tyr only five paces behind him. When questioned about Chairon's behaviour, Tyr only shrugged.

"The Silverwings will leave us alone," Tyr added. "We can hurry up and stop Aljei now."

Mardruk and Cassie gave Tyr measuring looks, but he didn't notice. No, the kal'dorei hunter was too busy noticing the way Chairon kept sneaking glances at him, as though he was waiting for Tyr to jump him.

Tyr smiled. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.


	21. Chapter 21

**Twenty-one**

Nigrade's tower wasn't much of a tower. Built out of an old hollowed-out tree, one could walk right by and never know he was there. It was probably how he survived the constant night elf patrols, Mardruk thought. The only way the group was able to Nigrade's home was because of Nolay. The druid had stopped abruptly and spun to face the old tree, giving it a warm smile as though she was meeting a beloved relative after a decade of absence. For all anyone knew, she might have been.

Chairon led them over the obscured path, disarming traps and rearming them once the group had passed. As they approached the base of the old tree, Mardruk wasn't surprised to find the old orc leaning on a staff waiting for them. His tired red eyes focused on Chairon, then swept over the others, lingering on the Alliance before they finally settled on Mardruk.

Following every word that Goran had taught him, Mardruk dipped his head in a respectful position, and said, "Lok'tar."

Nigrade's red eyes widened slightly. Then an odd smile played on his wrinkled face. "So, one of you remembers your manners, at least."

Mardruk blinked. "What?"

Nigrade waved his hand. "Not here. These old bones can't take much strain. Since you're here, you might as well come inside. Mind your shins."

The old orc led the group inside the old tree. The first room was cluttered by books, grimoires, and scrolls. Candles sputtered behind glass globes on small tables, giving light to see by. "Find a place to sit. Careful when you move things. The squirrels might bite."

Serasin jerked her hand back from a pile of scrolls, then settled to stand, her eyes focused on the old orc. Nigrade barely spared her a glance. Instead, he looked at Chairon, who had situated himself on a three-legged stool. "It's good to see you again, little one."

Chairon gave the old warlock a smile. "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"No doubt." Nigrade settled into a thick cushioned chair and looked out at the eight scattered before him. "Aljei is causing trouble, is he?"

The group stared. "H-how did you know?" Mardruk asked. The others asked the same thing, in varying degrees of disbelief. Only Chairon remained silent.

Nigrade sighed. "Aljei always causes trouble. After we sealed him away, it would've been foolish of us to expect he would remain where he was. But most of us did grow lax in monitoring him. They were the ones who died first. Besides the obvious, Aljei has been traveling with you since your journey began." The old orc shook his head when the group looked toward Chairon. An old, withered finger pointed to Mardruk. "You awakened him, boy. You and he share a bond. You are the only one who can defeat him."

Mardruk swallowed. "Aljei's… inside of me?"

"He's been watching, manipulating. He sent you to me to protect me, yes?" Nigrade nodded. "I will be the last he comes after."

"So we've just let three others die because I was too stupid to see past his tricks?" Mardruk asked, voice tight with anger.

Nigrade shrugged. "Did you let them, or were they already dead? Aljei wants to have fun in his kills, not torture his players unless they're intended for that purpose."

Cassie touched Mardruk's arm. His hand covered hers. "So we just have to keep you from dying." Cassie said, her gaze turning to Nigrade's.

"It won' be dat simple." Peritali said. "Aljei planned for us ta be here. He knows us, how we operate. He'll be holding all de cards."

"Unless we change the game." Serasin said slowly. "We make him think what we want him to think. Of course he'll expect a trick like that. Who wouldn't? But we set up wards and barriers, show him what our intended hand is. Zen, vhen he actually shows up, he'll be expecting to go through wards and barriers, not traps."

Raichlos canted his head. "That might just work. It's a sneaky underhanded trick, isn't it? I like it."

Nolay added her agreement. "It will give us an advantage if he's already wounded when we try to attack him. If Mardruk's the only one who can defeat him, we have to make sure our energy is focused on protecting and healing him."

"We have time yet." Chairon said absently. "He'll want to revel in these last kills. He'll take his time, make us sweat. It's best if we plan what we want to do out of Mardruk's earshot. Just in case."

Nigrade nodded slightly. "This would be best. There are rooms up those stairs that you may use. I don't have many, so you'll have to share. Mardruk, if you'd come with me, we have much to discuss."

Mardruk glanced at his friends, squeezed Cassie's fingers, then rose to help Nigrade hobble into another room on the lower level. Cassie curled her fingers and brought them to her lips, wondering why she felt like this would be the last time she would feel Mardruk's touch. She shivered and hurried after Serasin as the draenei led the rest upstairs.

"I know of Thrall, with his blue eyes, but never have I seen one with violet." Nigrade told Mardruk as he settled his old bones on his bed.

"Thrall was lucky," Mardruk replied. "My eyes were the reason mother abandoned me."

Nigrade shook his head, mane of white hair falling over his shoulders. "Violet eyes are rarer than blue. You have a great strength inside of you, boy. You may not be a leader of a people, or change the course of history, but what you do accomplish will seem so much more important."

Mardruk sighed. "So I've been told over and over. But I've never felt this strength."

"How many of us failed to break free of the Fel powers? We needed that magic until our Warchief came and kicked us in our asses. Look at the strength you've mustered! Friends where enemies should be. Lovers, when there should be hatred. Yes, yes, everyone knows about that Proudmoore whore and her fascination with Thrall, but it isn't the same.

"You love that flame-haired girl out there. I see it in those eyes of yours. Do you realize no half-breeds exist between Alliance and Horde? You are, you will be, a harbinger of a greater strength none of us have seen since before we orc were cut off from our homeland. If you survive your next test."

Mardruk could say nothing for a long while. "You mean if I survive Aljei, I could bring children into this world?"

"More than children." Nigrade stated. "Hope. If, IF, you survive Aljei."

Mardruk clenched his fists. All his life he'd been teased about his eyes. To know that, maybe, a prophecy awaited him at the end of his road, made him believe for the first time his eyes weren't a curse. He looked Nigrade in the eyes. "What do I have to do?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Twenty-two**

Tyr felt Chairon before he saw him, the slight creature stepping lightly over the carved floor toward the kal'dorei. Tyr turned to face Chairon, eyeing the sin'dorei as he was being eyed. The two elves just seemed to be content staring at one another, green eyes on gold. Then Tyr reached out to tangle his fingers in Chairon's long hair. The sin'dorei resisted Tyr's pull, but the kal'dorei was physically stronger. Chairon didn't have a chance, soon pressed up against Tyrrandal's body.

"I don't get it." Tyr said softly. He stroked Chairon's cheek, watching the blonde wince as though he'd been burned. "Why are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid." Chairon replied. "I told you before, I-"

"Don't do one night stands. Yeah." Tyr leaned his face in closer to Chairon's. "But I don't intend to be a one night stand."

The blood elf's green eyes narrowed. "You don't even know me."

"I want to know you. A rogue who doesn't try to escape his captors, who doesn't try to kill his target after a failure, and who doesn't bother to learn only the tongue of his faction. Who are you, Chairon? That's what I want to know. That's what I want to do. To know Chairon."

"What if Chairon doesn't want to be known?"

Chairon snorted. "What, just because Mardruk and Cassie started fucking means we have to, too?"

"No." Tyr replied, a smile working its way onto his face. "But I'd say that was a good enough reason."

The sin'dorei rolled his eyes and tried to shove away from Tyr. The night elf held him tightly, giving Chairon very little room to move. Tyr dipped his head down and nibbled on the rogue's left ear.

Chairon immediately tensed and gasped, squirming in Tyrrandal's hold as the sensitive, delicate point was mercilessly teased. In a span of only a few seconds, Chairon went from hating the stronger male to needing him, squirming against him as whines for the ministrations to stop escaped him.

Tyr moved his mouth from Chairon's ear to the sin'dorei's own mouth, capturing him in a kiss that seemed to go on forever. It was hot and sensual, Tyr's hand sliding to cup Chairon's cheek as the sin'dorei clutched to him. He broke the kiss only for air, staring into the hazy green eyes of the blood elf rogue.

Chairon shivered. "I hate you so much."

"I hope you'll be saying something else soon." Tyr replied with a smile. He kissed Chairon again and again until the smaller creature began to pant.

"You won't be able to leave," Chairon whispered as Tyr pulled off his tunic.

The kal'dorei's yellow eyes flickered upwards from where he knelt, kissing the expanse of Chairon's stomach and chest. "I told you. I think I'm in love with you. Really in love with you. Knowing what I do about you, if I didn't want you like this, believe me, this wouldn't be happening. Relax Chairon. Don't say anything."

Chairon blinked but nodded slowly. Tyr had the impression the smaller creature was trying to puzzle him out, like how a boy puzzles over the best way to put worms in his sister's hair. The kal'dorei nipped and nuzzled his way down Chairon's exposed flesh, listening to his soft sounds and feeling him twitch, especially when he ran his tongue over a scar or sensitive areas. Tyr could feel Chairon's arousal against him, knew that if he kept up the teasing much longer Chairon would probably gut him.

So he opened the smaller elf's pants and slowly reached in to draw him out, stroking the satiny flesh as Chairon's nails pricked his shoulders. Tyr noted the sin'dorei was trembling, as though his legs couldn't support him much longer.

Tyr pulled back and looked up toward Chairon's face. "Are you okay?"

Chairon swallowed, nodded. "Never… never done this before. You… you drive me crazy, making me want to kill you, making me want to want you. Of all the people in the world, you're the one who had to make me care about you and your stupid friends."

Tyr smiled. "So long as you care for me the most."

Chairon snorted and reached to tug on Tyr's pointed ear. "Don't get an inflated ego."

Tyr hissed as pleasure shot down his spine, straight to his groin. "I'd never dream of it. Just admit it, though. I'm the one you love the most."

Chairon looked at Tyr for a long while. "If I say it, will you hurry up?"

"Hurry up with what?"

"Bastard! You know what!"

Tyr grinned and leisurely stroked Chairon's cock with his fingertips. "Oh. Well, maybe."

Chairon let out an impressive vocabulary and even added in an inventive, if anatomically incorrect, threat before he let out a sigh. "Fine. You're the one I love the most."

"Say my name."

"What?"

"Say my name and that you love me, and I'll show you a trick."

Chairon looked about to explode. He growled something in Thalassian and glowered at the kal'dorei. "Tyrrandal, I love you. There. Happy?"

Tyr hummed. "It'll do." He promptly lifted Chairon and tossed the smaller elf toward the bed, stripping him of the rest of his clothing at the same time. He followed Chairon onto the narrow bed and pinned the rogue beneath him, on his stomach, purring against the back of Chairon's throat and inhaling the scent of his hair.

Chairon squirmed as Tyr's hands slid beneath him, lifting him onto his hands and knees. Then one hand moved and settled between his shoulders, pushing him down until his face was pressed into the blankets and his ass was vulnerable raised up in the air. Chairon shivered. His fingers curled in the blankets as he felt Tyr's warm breath on his spine, then on the sensitive flesh just above the dividing line of his asscheeks.

"What're you-"

"Shh." Tyr commanded. His yellow eyes met Chairon's green, the buttery orbs heated with desire. "Trust me."

Chairon shivered as he felt Tyr's hands spread him, cheeks staining themselves pink. No one had ever been so intimate with Chairon like this. He wondered what Tyr saw, because whatever it was, it was fascinating the hell out of the hunter. The smaller elf squirmed, then jerked as something wet and wriggly pressed up against his asshole, slowly worming its way inside of him.

The moment Chairon realized what that wet and wriggly thing was, he almost jerked free. But Tyr had one hand pressing him down while the other snaked beneath him and took hold of his cock. Chairon let out a whimpering moan as Tyr's tongue pushed deeper inside of him, opening muscle that wasn't meant to let anything in. Every time he tensed, Tyr would do something to his aching need that would make him relax, sending Chairon on a spiral of pain/pleasure/pain that both frightened and aroused him.

Then Tyr and Tyr's tongue pulled away, leaving Chairon aching and shivering. "Don't move," Tyr commanded. Chairon gave a wordless affirmation, but he turned his head to watch the kal'dorei as he got off the bed.

Chairon watched as Tyr stripped off his armour and clothes, watched as every inch of that powerful, muscled body was revealed. He watched with a growing thrill and fear as Tyr opened his pants, then stepped out of them, giving Chairon a good look at the thick arousal the hunter was proudly displaying. Tyr rummaged in his pack, and pulled out what looked to be a bottle of some superior healing potion before he turned back to Chairon.

"I'm sorry we have to be quick." Tyr whispered as he covered Chairon once more. "Time's against us."

"Make it up to me later." Chairon replied as he felt Tyr's fingers stroking his spine. "I'll expect flowers and a dinner too."

Tyr chuckled. "Do you want a ride into the sunset?"

"Of course. Just not on some mount. Four-footed, taloned, or otherwise fully a part of the animal kingdom." Chairon clarified as Tyr's eyebrow rose. "I'll even ride you out on the grasses if you want to make the experience kosher."

Tyr made an odd noise. Chairon wasn't sure if it was a laugh or an attempt to curb a mental image. "Duly noted." Tyr replied. There was a quiet 'snick' as he opened the potion bottle. "This will feel weird. Try not to clench."

"What?" Chairon gasped as something thick and cold worked its way inside him, slippery and painful and he clamped his muscles on instinct. Tyr was whispering to him, stroking his back, his ears, and finally Chairon relaxed enough to permit movement. Tyr's middle finger delved a little deeper then, pulling out to coat his index and middle finger in the potion before he pushed both digits into Chairon.

The little sin'dorei whimpered and squirmed, but Tyr just kept whispering to him, dirty things that made Chairon squirm for another reason entirely. In all his forty years, Tyr had never had a more squirmy lover. It was refreshing.

He scissored his fingers, stretching impossibly tight muscle and hoping the red fluid he saw wasn't blood, just an excessive amount of healing potion. Chairon bucked suddenly back against him, his spine curving, and then Tyr felt hot, sticky fluid in the hand wrapped around Chairon's cock. He pulled his fingers from Chairon, and watched that stretched passage try to put itself back to rights.

"I hope you're not done." Tyr said, licking one of the blonde's long, tapering ears.

"Y-you wish!"

"That's a good boy," Tyr said with a grin. He cupped the hand already covered by liquid and poured a liberal amount of potion into his palm. This mix he coated his aching need with, giving himself a few heavy squeezes before he pressed the head of his cock against Chairon's hole. "Ready?"

Chairon looked over his shoulder at his lover, green eyes narrowed dangerously. Tyr pulled back on Chairon's hips, watching his cock be swallowed by tight heat. He lifted the sin'dorei so the smaller was in his lap, impaled on his length. Chairon grabbed onto the hands at his hips, a cry escaping his lips. Tyr quickly silenced him with a rough kiss and thrust up.

That was all it took to get Chairon to ride, the rogue near bouncing in the kal'dorei's lap.

They panted together, moving rhythm and counter-rhythm, Tyr pushing as deep as he could and Chairon trying not to scream. The hunter wrapped his hand around Chairon's reawakened need and stroked, squeezing when Chairon's muscles squeezed him. It didn't take long for the rogue to come again, and this time, Tyr followed, filling the smaller body with his seed.

They nearly collapsed, Tyr supporting himself with one hand to keep from crushing Chairon. Slowly, he pulled from Chairon's body, frowning a the blood mixed with semen. Chairon kissed him hard, adding a nip for good measure. "So you owe me a really, really good dinner." The rogue said to Tyr's questioning look.

Tyr smiled satisfactorily. "Fine. Dinner, flowers, and a ride in the sunset."

Chairon gave a slight nod. "Maybe some ice cream, too."

"Don't push it."


	23. Chapter 23

**Twenty-three**

Aljei hummed a merry tune as he set the tower aflame, smiling as the hungry glow consumed everything – bodies, parchment, it didn't matter. He'd finished Kamarth two weeks ago, had a lovely jaunt across Westfall hunting for Maris and killed her and at least two dozen Murloc in the process (but who cares about Murlocs?) and now Apressa lay burning alive in her precious tower. He supposed he should've sown her SOME mercy, since she had only been there to lend her power rather than been a part of the plot from the start. Oh, but how that sin'dorei bitch had grated on his nerves! She'd tried to seduce him, and when she realized Aljei was there for her life, she'd sent her half-trained students at him.

Poor children. Their deaths, at least, had been quick and painless. Apressa, however, was just beginning to scream. Oh, she'd die from smoke inhalation long before the flames got her, but she knew the price of Aljei's wrath. Her final sight would be the bodies of her students, peaceful in their eternal rest while she suffered.

Aljei dropped his torch and dusted off his hands. One more act. Just one more and then he could finally rest.

Nolay sent the warning quickly, falling into her position to set up her trap. Peritali continued the warning, ready to set up her wards. Each finished their task and hurried back to where Mardruk waited, his violet eyes focused on the treeline where Aljei would emerge. Half a year. Half a year they had chased this man and now had finally gotten ahead. This time, they would win. They would come out on top today.

Nolay's trap went off first, then Peritali's ward shattered. Tyr's immolation trap barely singed a hair on his head. They watched in growing apprehension as Aljei approached, the warlock proudly clapping his hands as he stopped only twenty paces away from Mardruk and the others.

"I'll give you points for the idea," Aljei called, "but I'll have to fail you for ingenuity. Traps? Really? Nigrade, you old fool, what have you been teaching these children?"

The old warlock snorted. "At least I HAVE taught them, unlike you, who allows their only apprentice to be mauled by a demon."

Aljei's lips split into a smile. "How is my ex-apprentice doing? I hear he's making quite the name for himself."

"Azhael has far exceeded you, Aljei."

Aljei smiled wider. "Really? Good for him. Now, Mardruk, be a dear and stand aside. Nigrade and I have to chat."

"Yeah, just like you chatted with the others." Mardruk spat. "Think again. If you want Nigrade's life, you'll have to take mine first."

"Brave words for a young boy." Aljei sneered. "Very well, if death is what you seek, I'll gladly grant your wish, since it seems dear little Chairon has a conscience after all."

Mardruk rushed forward before Aljei could begin his spell, sword leveled at the high elf's chest. His armour shimmered with ward upon protection spell, and Aljei could only identify a few of them before he was forced to dodge. Mardruk pivoted and lunged again, this time backed up by Serasin. Aljei laughed. He really couldn't help it. All eight would soon become involved one way or another, and Aljei might actually find a challenge.

He knew Nigrade would be fun!

But Aljei was done playing. He launched off a spell that slammed into Serasin's chest plate, sending the draenei female flying. Stubborn goat, she got back up, shivering as Raichlos' healing magic spread through her body. She would be back in the fight soon enough. Aljei focused on the healers then. Take out the support and the fighters would fall. He barely dodged a fireball, then the vicious teeth and claws of the kal'dorei's lion. Nigrade stood watching it all, an odd smile playing on his face.

Aljei grinned. The old fool meant to kill them all. He spun and caught Mardruk's blade with his own, his eyes narrowing. "He means to kill us. Don't you see? The love you have for that human woman drives him to eliminate us all."

"Liar!" Mardruk growled as he disengaged from Aljei, then pressed for a series of powerful cuts. Suddenly Chairon was at Aljei's back, and the warlock spun out of the path of collision, forcing Mardruk to check his speed and Chairon to fall backwards or be impaled by the orc's weapon.

"Am I?" Aljei asked. "Oh, yes, let's distrust the warlock that was wrongfully imprisoned and is busy getting revenge." His eyes turned to Nigrade. "Yes, you're the last. The very last. Once you're gone, who will stop me? These children?"

Nigrade shrugged. "Who says I'll be the one to die here, you bastard? Look around you. Your fate is sealed."

Aljei dodged Mardruk and Tyr, sending spell after spell at his opponents. Aljei just kept smiling, though spinning the direction of the battle around and around, forcing the spell-casters to use up their mana healing the fighters and the fighters to waste their energy protecting the spell-casters. From the beginning, the nine of them thought he had fallen into their trap. Admittedly, he'd walked unknowingly into Nigrade's, and while he had no intention of dying, he certainly didn't want Mardruk's group dying by the old warlock's underhanded trick. This meant that Aljei had to defeat Nigrade quickly, or the energies all of them were stirring up would reach a crescendo, and allow Nigrade to eliminate them all.

Aljei came to a sudden halt before Nigrade and attacked first with immolation, then let loose one of his most powerful spells, drawing upon the arcane like one drew upon water from a fountain. Too late did the high elf realize his mistake; it was too late to redirect his power, and the shimmering force slammed into Nigrade's barrier with enough force to drive the old orc back a few steps. But then Aljei's power backlashed, sweeping across the field and knocking them all down, Aljei's own magic his undoing.

Nigrade ignored Mardruk and his group as he stalked forward, his own sword naked in his hand and thirsty for blood. Aljei managed to scramble back, putting fear in his eyes. The closest to him was the human woman Cassie, the love of Mardruk's life. How fortunate Aljei was, he thought dryly.

Aljei locked eyes with Cassie. He watched her jerk as his arcane powers battled with her elemental, but ultimately, Aljei won. He heard cries of the girl's name as she stumbled to her feet, saw Nigrade's eyes widen then fill with a perverse sort of glee.

Cassie fell to her knees before Aljei, between him and Nigrade. She was a living shield, something Nigrade would have to go through to get to Aljei. With the others incapacitated by the backlash of arcane power, Nigrade could take his time in murdering both Cassie and Aljei, never caring the human girl was an unwilling player in this stage of the game. Aljei was hoping that Nigrade's hate for humans would override his judgment and drive away whatever pretty words he'd told the violet-eyed Mardruk.

"It's a pity, Aljei," Nigrade said, "that you had to involve children. Especially so you could enjoy your freedom a little longer."

"Are you really going to kill her?" Aljei taunted.

Nigrade shrugged. "She's a stupid human whore." The old orc raised his blade and brought it swiftly down.

An inhuman roar shook the clearing, and Cassie felt warm blood on her face.


	24. Chapter 24

**Twenty-four**

Cassie stared up at Nigrade, the old orc's sword falling useless to the ground at his feet. He was staring at the majority of a broadsword shoved through his chest, neatly severing arteries in his neck and shattering bone. Mardruk, his eyes bright with rage, pulled his sword free, and let Nigrade fall. His eyes were focused on the old orc's, and Mardruk suddenly jerked. Aljei rose behind Cassie, his eyes focused on Mardruk. He saw Nigrade smile, just before the life left him.

"Girl," Aljei whispered to Cassie, "if you ever loved him, you'll fight for him now."

Cassie jerked to face Aljei. "What do you mean?" But the ancient elf never had a chance to answer, for Mardruk suddenly attacked, his violet eyes a deeper hue of red-purple. Cassie threw herself out of the berserk orc's path and watched him attack Aljei with a viciousness that scared her. "Wh-what happened?!" Cassie yelled. No one answered.

Aljei and Mardruk were evenly matched with the blade. Mardruk was far more wounded, but Aljei was far more exhausted. He wasn't able to use a spell, for Mardruk kept pressing, his berserker strength giving him the edge. Cassie looked toward Nigrade, the old orc's smile taunting her. They had trusted him, and he'd intended to kill them all with treachery. Of course, Aljei had intended to kill them as well, but at least he'd been HONEST about it!

She looked around her for help. Nolay was helping Serasin, Peritali was trying to heal Tyr, and Chairon and Raichlos were trying to recover as well, the sin'dorei's eyes glowing green.

Cassie's thoughts stuttered to a halt.

Chairon's eyes were green, but they had never glowed. The rogue had stayed away from arcane magic, not wanting to be tainted, to become dependent on it. But his eyes were glowing now, which meant he must've absorbed some of Aljei's backlash.

Cassie looked back to Nigrade and cursed him as she got to her feet. Mardruk had never experienced the powers of the arcane. Never felt what it was like to have the power of the Fel in his blood. Like Thrall's blue eyes proclaimed he would change the world, Mardruk's violet eyes proclaimed a deeper, more destructive power, if the Fel ever touched him. Nigrade had recognized that. Used that.

Cassie wished she could kill that son of a whoring bitch again.

She tried to hurry, watching Aljei slow down and Mardruk only speed up. Then Aljei's blade was knocked clear from his grip and Mardruk's broadsword opened up a harsh wound in the elf's side. Aljei fell to the ground, helpless. Mardruk raised his sword to impale the elf, missed, and tried again.

Cassie launched herself at that sword arm, wrapping her arms around the thickly muscled appendage. His eyes focused on her, his free hand came across to crush her, to tear her away and fling her fragile body across the clearing. She reached up and her smaller hand met his.

"Mardruk!" she cried. "Mardruk, please! It's Cassie! Don't you remember me? Don't you remember that I love you?"

Mardruk's powerful fingers closed around her hand. He could destroy her if he desired, she knew, and no one could stop him. She focused on his eyes, feeling her own fill with tears. "Mardruk," Cassie pleaded, "please. Please remember me."

It was like the world was holding its breath, there in that clearing, as Mardruk struggled with himself. Nigrade's influence was telling him to crush the female, to destroy her because she was human. Humans killed and murdered without regard. She would destroy him one day. But her eyes were the eyes of a gentle soul, full of love and fear. She was crying. She was afraid, afraid of him. Cassie didn't have to fear him, did she?

Mardruk felt the arcane flowing in his blood, the ugly presence of Nigrade's hatred and power. He hated the power – he wasn't born to be in control of power like this! He was a warrior! He was supposed to protect his home, his family – CASSIE – not kill!

Mardruk let out a bellow and fell to his knees, throwing his arms around Cassie and burying his face in her hair. He breathed deep, her scent driving away the berserker lurking in his blood. But he didn't stay like that with her for long.

Aljei still lived, after all.

Mardruk felt the arcane power drain from his body, felt it coil around Aljei. He struggled up, taking hold of his sword again. Aljei watched him, an odd triumphant smile playing on his lips.

"What are you so happy about?" asked Mardruk.

Aljei smiled, lifeless eyes meeting the orc's. "I win."

Mardruk lifted his sword and brought it down on the soft flesh of Aljei's neck, watched as the stolen body disintegrated into rocks and grasses, the arcane power released into the land.

He turned then, looked at Cassie and his friends. He dropped his blade then, disgusted with it. He wrapped his arms around Cassie. "Let's go home."

No one argued with him as he led the way back to Ratchet, for they, too, wanted to go home.

As for Nigrade, they left him where he lay to be picked on by crows. None of them looked back, focused ahead of them.

Home waited for them all.


	25. Chapter 25

**Epilogue**

Footsteps echoed in the old halls, full of crumbly leaves and vines. The place was old, in disrepair, and yet it made it all the better. The ruins of the old house lent a sort of awe, a fear, and a hope that one day the secrets of this place would be passed on.

His boots crunched over leaves that never seemed to go away. His robes, scarlet, the colour of apprentices, picked up the dust and dirt that clung to the floor. His young green eyes picked up every nuance of every shadow, his long black hair pulled into a tail that fell across his shoulder. Looking at him, one could mistake him for another, identical in features but not in colour. The boy himself didn't know this, believing it was his own strength that had drawn his master to him.

And indeed it had been, if this other hadn't have given the master a taste first. But the boy didn't know that part.

Raansha eased his way into the work room, the cleanest place in the entire ruins. His eyes showed promise. He was young, a child still like that other, and strong in his craft. He had potential.

"Master? I brought that book you wanted."

Aljei turned away from his worktable to his young apprentice and smiled. "Bring it here then, and let's get started."

Raansha almost beamed.

Aljei's smile became something more dangerous as he put his arm around the boy's shoulders. Retirement had never been so much fun.

"Master? Why are you laughing?"

"Never you mind. Get to work."


End file.
